Arsenal have reportedly submitted an official proposal to sign Mikel Arteta’s preferred striker…

It has been reported that Arsenal has formally submitted a proposal to sign the striker of choice for Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal is said to be prepared to give priority to signing Sporting Lisbon forward Viktor Gyokeres this summer, according to reports.

The Swedish player left Coventry City before the start of this season to join a team in Portugal.

Despite only competing in the Championship in 2022-23, Gyokeres has smoothly transitioned into one of the top European football leagues.

With a total of 36 goals and 14 assists in 39 matches across all competitions, the 25-year-old is now considered one of the most promising forwards in Europe.

There have been conflicting reports about the potential asking price, with recent claims suggesting that Sporting might be willing to sell for €50m (£42.9m) instead of insisting on a release clause twice that amount.

A more lenient approach would naturally attract additional supporters to the discussion table, challenging the positions of Arsenal and Chelsea, who are reportedly keeping an eye on the situation.

Nonetheless, as per talkSPORT, the Gunners are already gearing up to concentrate their efforts on fending off any rivals for Gyokeres.

The report suggests that Mikel Arteta is more inclined to attempt to bring Gyokeres back to English football rather than continue to vie for Brentford’s Ivan Toney.

On Tuesday evening, Toney scored from the penalty spot for his first England goal as the Three Lions secured a 2-2 draw in a friendly against Belgium.

Toney is still in the running for a place in the England squad for Euro 2024, but the 28-year-old has only managed to score four goals from 10 starts for Brentford since returning from an eight-month suspension in January.

In addition to failing to score in his last five starts for the Bees, playing the full 90 minutes each time, Toney’s current performance is subpar.

Moreover, there have been consistent suggestions that Toney could demand a fee well over £50m, despite his contract expiring in 2025.

Arteta may have been persuaded to explore other options in the summer due to the aforementioned factors. Additionally, Arsenal must prioritize adhering to the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Recently, Gyokeres expressed amusement in being associated with other clubs, although he emphasized his contentment with his current situation at Estadio Jose Alvalade.