Arsenal are pushing to sign Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres with talks understood to be at an advanced stage.
There is no club-to-club agreement but there is an apparent willingness from all parties to get a deal done.
Arsenal are thought to be encouraged by the 27-year-old's desire to join, with personal terms not expected to be a problem
In a fresh development, Sporting have given Gyokeres permission to delay his return for pre-season.
The Sweden international was due back on Monday - a week after some of his team-mates - but he has now been given until Friday as talks with Arsenal pro Gyokeres was a Manchester United target after they made an initial approach for him through intermediaries.
Last month, Sporting president Frederico Varandas revealed Gyokeres would not be allowed to leave for £59m (€70m) this summer.
Varandas also disputed the existence of a 'gentleman's agreement' with Gyokeres' agent that would allow him to leave for a fixed fee of £50.8m (€60m) plus £8.4m (€10m) in add-ons.
After joining Sporting from Coventry for around £20m in 2023, Gyokeres has scored 97 goals in 102 matches during his two seasons in Portugal.
Gyokeres scored 54 goals in 52 games in all competitions last campaign, including a hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League, as he helped Sporting win the league and the Portuguese Cup.
A move to Arsenal would see Gyokeres return to English football, having joined Brighton in January 2018 before moving to Coventry after loan spells at St Pauli and Swansea.
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The Sunday Circle