Arsenal 'worried' over Viktor Gyokeres transfer and Liverpool's Florian Wirtz deal shows why

Arsenal are said to be "worried" over whether Viktor Gyokeres is the answer to their solution, asTroy Deeney questioned why the transfer for the striker continues to drag on. The Premier League side have long been linked with the signing the Sporting CP star, with interest in the Swede spanning back to last summer.

WhileMikel Arteta's side arefavourites to land the 27-year-old, the two parties are failing to come to an agreement on the fee. The Portuguese champions are said to be requesting £60.3million (€70m) and £8m (€10m) in add-ons for their talisman.

Despite a lack of agreement on the transfer fee, Arsenal and Gyokeres are said to have already agreed personal terms on a five-year contract that'll see the striker return to England for the first time since leaving Coventry City in 2023.

READ MORE: Carlos Cuesta adds Arsenal attacker to transfer shortlist after Noni Madueke bid

READ MORE: Transfer news LIVE: Arsenal to make Gyokeres decision, Man Utd's Mbeumo worry, Spurs chase two attackers

The long-running saga for Gyokeres' signature has left Deeney convinced that the north London side are not convinced of the Swede's value. Speaking on talkSPORT's Kick Off show, the ex-Watford captain said: "I don't think they're sold on Gyokeres. I really don't."

He compared Arsenal's slow and steady approach of Gyokeres to Liverpool's relatively speedy signing of Florian Wirtz in a potential British record £116m deal. Deeney claimed a deal would already be done for the striker if Arteta was sold on the idea that the Swede was the answer to his attacking problems.

"Because you’d just go and get him, you get it done [if Arsenal were really keen]," he explained.

"The same way that Liverpool did with Wirtz, [they] just went: ‘Bang, go and get him, get it finished.' I think they're worried that he's not, not only the short-term answer, but not the long-term answer."

Buying a striker has long been on the wishlist for Arsenal fans, who've seen the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz tried and tested up front but to no avail. Benjamin Sesko was very much being considered, but again a fee could not be agreed with RB Leipzig.

Deeney admitted he believes Arteta's stubbornness could be the thorn holding up a deal for Gyokeres.

The 37-year-old said: "This is my opinion – I think Arteta is a little bit stubborn at this moment in time because everyone's been calling for it [to sign a striker]. If he does that and then wins it [the Premier League], it's going to be like: ‘Oh, we told you that.’

"It's not going to be his thing. There's a little element of stubbornness and [a feeling of]: ‘We could do it our way'. I find it interesting that we're seeing more talk with Madueke – that looks like it's closer to being done than the strikers."

With talks at a standstill between Arsenal and Sporting, Record claim that Gyokeres could look to secure a loan move late in the transfer window should a move to the Premier League side fail to come to fruition.

The striker remains adamant that he will not represent Sporting again, and if a deal with Arsenal does not materialise, Gyokeres could well look to temporarily join a fellow European club this summer.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.