Arsenal are finally set to complete the signing of Viktor Gyokeres after a long drawn-out process.
Gyokeres is set to emulate Thierry Henry at the Gunners and wear the number 14 shirt with the Swedish striker undergoing a medical in London.
There is then the expectation that Gyokeres will fly out to join Arsenal’s pre-season tour in Asia and could make his debut against Tottenham Hotspur.
Andrea Berta has had his work cut out throughout the deal but seems to have finally got his man. However, former Premier League striker Stan Collymore is not happy about one aspect of the deal.
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Stan Collymore blasts agent fees involved with Viktor Gyokeres transfer to Arsenal
As per his latest column in Caught Offside, Collymore has expressed his frustration at the delay in the signing of Gyokeres due to the agent’s involvement.
Collymore stated: “Ordinarily it would be that Arsenal wants the player, in this case Viktor Gyokeres, they make an offer to the club, the club say yes, you can speak to the player, they offer terms to the player, the player says yes, and the fee is done.
“The fact that the agent, by demanding so much money, can cause so many complications is just baffling to me.
“Why on earth was the only thing potentially that was holding up the deal was the size of the agent’s fee? If the agent is having to say publicly that he dropped his fee so that the deal can get done, then it gives you an idea of how many deals must not get done because of the agent’s demands.
“For me it’s really simple: they should be on the clock like lawyers, they get paid a salary, and you see their work audited.
“Yes, there is an argument that players get paid too much, but they’re the stars of the show. They’re the ones that go out and perform week in and week out in front of packed out crowds and sponsors, advertisers want to get involved in the product that is the Premier League – agents don’t.
“And I’m telling you now that a really good lawyer could get any player out there the identical deal that they have without having to pay them up to £10 million. It’s absolutely ridiculous, and a shameful indictment on how much agents are getting into this game.”
How Arsenal are paying for Viktor Gyokeres
Berta was desperate to ensure that Mikel Arteta had his number nine this summer and has pulled off an incredible deal despite the lengthy wait.
The structure of add-ons for Gyokeres mean that the Gunners are only paying an initial fee of £55m and then an additional £8m over time.
It means that Arsenal still have the capabilities to go after other attacking targets such as Eberechi Eze this summer with the search for more creativity still ongoing.
Although the deal for Gyokeres has been dragged out, Arsenal will be pleased with their business in the end.
They are getting a striker born to score goals and have structured a deal so that it doesn’t affect any further plans they have this summer. £63m for a top quality striker is also pretty good value in today’s market.
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