Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Noni Madueke but frustrations remain in their search for a striker.
Andrea Berta’s priority heading into this summer’s transfer window was to provide Mikel Arteta with some attacking firepower, while securing the futures of several key first-team stars.
Myles Lewis-Skelly’s new Arsenal contract alongside Gabriel Magalhaes was a great start to the window for Berta but his main objective is yet to be completed.
Arsenal remain locked in talks with Sporting Lisbon over Viktor Gyokeres, however, the latest transfer twist involving the player may not go down well with the Gunners boss.
According to journalist David Ornstein, Gyokeres does not intend to report back for pre-season training at his current club Sporting Lisbon.
The 27-year-old has agreed a five-year contract with the Gunners and is reportedly upset with the Sporting hierarchy for their failure to keep to an agreement over his price tag.
Some Arsenal fans may see this move from Gyokeres as a positive sign for his desperation to move to North London and become a success.
However, Gunners boss Arteta likes his players to act in a professional and respectful manner at all times, whatever the circumstances.
Seeing Gyokeres effectively go on strike at his current club will not impress the Spaniard, and he may even see the move as a selfish act towards his teammates.
Arteta is not afraid to hold his players to account and set high standards, he already proved that with former striker and club captain at the time Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Aubameyang had no choice but to leave Arsenal after he was exiled from the first-team squad following a number of ‘disciplinary issues’ that Arteta was not happy with.
The centre forward has since admitted he made ‘mistakes’ during his time in North London but Aubameyang has refused to apologise to Arteta.
It remains to be seen whether Gyokeres has just scuppered his dream move to Arsenal but what is for sure, if he does arrive, Arteta will hold him to better behaviour than he is currently showing.
