Arsenal path clears towards player Andrea Berta really wants as rival boss risks it all

transfer chief Andrea Berta will by now have developed some initial ideas about how he wants to flesh out 's squad this summer. The Gunners are poised to finish second in the for the third consecutive season, and there is mounting evidence that Arteta does not have the quality he needs to haul a title over the line.

One of the positions in line to be strengthened is centre-forward. Arsenal have been forced to experiment with Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard up top following season-ending injuries to and . While the deputies have acquitted themselves well, have still streaked to the Premier League crown with four matches to spare.

One of the players on Berta's radar is believed to be Viktor Gyokeres. The Sporting striker has been in remarkable form since his move to Portugal. As he comes to the end of his second season in Lisbon, he boasts an incredible record of 95 goals in 98 games.

And the ratio is improving with each passing week. In the wake of his four-goal bonanza against Boavista last time out, Gyokeres has netted 17 times in his last 10 games.

One of the nagging concerns in Berta's mind is likely to have centred around the prospect of Ruben Amorim seeking to reunite with the Swedish international. The Manchester United manager brought the best out of him during their time together at Sporting, and the Red Devils are in desperate need of fire power through the middle.

But in his Europa League press conference on Wednesday, Amorim took a high-risk approach. Rather than showing his appreciation for a player in red-hot form, and one who will be in demand this summer, the Portuguese said he wouldn't even want him if reports are to be believed about Champions League football being a deal-breaker.

United are 14th in the Premier League table, and a Europa League win is their only hope of getting a seat at Europe's top table.

"Gyokeres deal? I didn't talk to him," Amorim revealed. "But if a player only wants to come to Man United to play Champions League, then he won't come. We want players who want to represent United, not players who want to play certain competitions."

Amorim playing hardball will be music to the ears of Berta, who may already be schmoozing Gyokeres and his entourage behind the scenes. Other top clubs are expected to throw their hat into the ring this summer, but if United and their ex-Sporting boss are out of the running, the equation looks a whole lot rosier for the Gunners.