Viktor Gyokeres drops new transfer hint as Arsenal handed £59m 'agreement' green light

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Viktor Gyokeres has given a new update on his future ahead of what is likely to be his final appearance for Sporting CP.

With both Arsenal and Manchester United keeping tabs on the prolific goal-scorer, he's determined to go out on a high in Portugal, targeting a double-winning season when his team face-off against arch-rivals Benfica in Sunday's Taca de Portugal final.

Speaking on Portuguese television channel Noticias, Gyokeres was asked what the future holds and said: "Hopefully you can expect I keep improving and score goals."

When probed further about what this summer holds, the striker made no guarantees to Sporting: "We'll see. It's the future. Football is like that, you never know what's going to happen.

"As we saw this season, you never know what's going to happen. And it's the same thing now. We'll see what the future holds."

Arsenal's newly appointed sporting director, Andrea Berta, has been a vocal advocate for the signing of Gyokeres since he joined the Emirates Stadium club in March, football.london understands.

Arsenal now appear to be in pole position to secure Gyokeres' signature, especially after United's defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final in Bilbao left the Red Devils without European qualification altogether.

Ruben Amorim, who is keen on reuniting with his former Sporting striker at Old Trafford, will find that the 1-0 loss to Spurs has serious financial implications for United, as they've missed out on the lucrative Champions League prize money, reports the Mirror.

United are already close to activating Wolves star Matheus Cunha's release clause, which stands at around £62.5million.

They'll need to offload some high-profile players in order to fund further spending, with Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho potentially heading for the exit.

Gyokeres is keen to challenge himself at the top level with aspirations to compete in the Champions League and vie for major trophies next season. Arsenal would provide him with this opportunity, and their budget would certainly enable them to facilitate such a move.

The Gunners have also been eyeing other forwards like RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, a long-time target, as part of their comprehensive summer strategy.

A gentleman's agreement exists between Gyokeres and the Portuguese club, allowing him to depart this summer for a fee ranging from £55m to £60m - significantly less than his £84.3m (€100m) release clause.

Sporting wanted to acknowledge Gyokeres' loyalty, especially after he chose not to seek a new adventure in January following Amorim's move to United. It's understood that, out of respect for Sporting, Gyokeres has requested potential buyers to refrain from making official approaches until the current season concludes.

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