Arsenal are reportedly ready to prioritise a move for Sporting Lisbon forward Viktor Gyokeres this summer.
The Sweden international only departed Coventry City ahead of this campaign in order to make the switch to Portugal.
Despite only playing in the Championship during 2022-23, Gyokeres has made a seamless transition into one of the top leagues in European football.
A total of 36 goals and 14 assists have come from 39 appearances in all competitions, with the 25-year-old now regarded as one of the most highly-rated frontmen on the continent.
There have been conflicting reports regarding a potential asking price, it recently being claimed that Sporting may be ready to cash in at €50m (£42.9m) rather than hold firm over a release clause double in value.
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Such a softened stance would naturally bring more admirers to the table to compete with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea who are said to be monitoring the situation.
Nevertheless, according to talkSPORT, the Gunners are already preparing to focus their attention on seeing off any competition for Gyokeres.
The report claims that Mikel Arteta is more inclined to try to bring Gyokeres back to English football than remain in the race for Brentford's Ivan Toney.
On Tuesday night, Toney netted from the penalty spot for his first England goal as the Three Lions earned a 2-2 draw in a friendly with Belgium.
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Toney remains in contention for a spot in the England squad for Euro 2024, yet the 28-year-old only has four goals from 10 starts for Brentford since returning from an eight-month suspension in January.
Combined with failing to score on his last five starts for the Bees, completing the 90 minutes on each occasion, Toney is currently performing below par.
Furthermore, there have been constant suggestions that Toney could cost well in excess of £50m, despite his contract being due to expire in 2025.
The aforementioned reasons may have been enough to convince Arteta that he should shop elsewhere in the summer when Arsenal must also ensure that they continue to comply with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules.
Gyokeres has recently insisted that he finds it "fun" to be linked with other clubs, albeit while stressing that he is happy with life at Estadio Jose Alvalade.
Darren Plant
