Arsenal stance on jetting Viktor Gyokeres to Asia tour as transfer saga rumbles on

Arsenal will weigh up excusing Viktor Gyokeres from their pre-season tour altogether if a total agreement cannot be struck with Sporting by early next week.

While the two clubs verbally agreed a deal worth an initial £55million plus £8.6m in bonuses last Sunday, there has been a difference of opinion over the makeup of the add-ons involved and the stubborn Portuguese champions are continuing to play hardball.

Should the frustrating delay continue, Arsenal will consider keeping Gyokeres in London - as opposed to flying him solo to Asia - to protect his conditioning ahead of the new Premier League season.

At this stage, they remain relaxed, are committed to finalising negotiations with Sporting and are still prioritising getting Gyokeres on the plane to join up with his new team-mates.

The timing of the white smoke will ultimately dictate whether his involvement is feasible - despite a clear desire to get him to the Far East, pronto.

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Arsenal set off on their 13-hour flight to Singapore on Saturday without Gyokeres, £52m signing Noni Madueke, who has been handed a three-week break by Mikel Arteta following his involvement at the Club World Cup with Chelsea, and fellow impending new arrival Cristhian Mosquera.

The 21-year-old defender completed his medical tests on Wednesday and has already conducted his club media duties but his £16.5m switch from Valencia is still being ratified, though it's hoped he'll be able to travel to Asia soon.

Arsenal, who beat Watford in a behind-closed-door friendly at London Colney on Saturday before departing for the Far East, play AC Milan on Wednesday before facing fellow Premier League side Newcastle in Singapore next Sunday. They then head off to Hong Kong for their final match of the Asia tour against rivals Tottenham on July 31.

Gyokeres is still awaiting the green light to travel to London for his medical and it's understood the prolific striker remains eager to join up with the Arsenal squad as soon as possible.

However, if negotiations do rumble on deep into next week, Arsenal would be cautious about flying the Swede across the globe for what will essentially be a bit-part role in their tour programme.

It's not yet ruled out he could in fact remain in the capital and follow a tailored individual training schedule.

Gyokeres, who has been put through his paces by personal trainer Giannis Katsigiannis in recent weeks, holds a dual citizenship for both Sweden and Hungary and would not require a visa to enter Singapore or Hong Kong - handing the Gunners a degree of flexibility ahead of any final decision.

Last summer, Arsenal flew Riccardo Calafiori to New York before he was chauffeured to Philadelphia to join up with the Gunners for their final US tour fixture against Liverpool.

Calafiori personally pushed to make it happen and Oleksandr Zinchenko also flew to Orlando in 2022 but this time around, there is significantly more mileage involved - Arsenal will travel a whopping 14,321 in total before landing back in England - and that will be taken into consideration when assessing the best possible approach to assisting Gyokeres' transition following a long-winded saga.

Arsenal host Spanish sides Villarreal (August 6) and Athletic Club (August 9) before their Premier League curtain-raiser at Manchester United on August 17.

Talented teenagers Max Dowman and Marli Salmon, both 15, were named in the travelling squad alongside returning centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes.

Fabio Vieira has also been given an extended break following his involvement in the Club World Cup.

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