Reports indicate that Viktor Gyokeres has warned Sporting Lisbon he may refuse to play for them again unless they lower their high asking price. This has set the stage for a potential standoff, as the club president has issued a fiery response to Gyokeres’ demands amid his possible departure.

Gyokeres has been the talk of the town this summer as several Premier League clubs look to bring in a striker ahead of the new season.

Manchester United and Arsenal appear to be the front-runners to acquire the 27-year-old, who seems eager to leave Sporting. Both clubs are in need of bolstering their attacking options and view Gyokeres as a valuable addition.

After promising discussions about his transfer, it was agreed Gyokeres would be allowed to exit the Estádio José Alvalade this summer if a club offered €60m (£51m), plus €10m (£8m) in bonuses.

However, it has been reported by Portuguese outlet Record, that Sporting’s board have made a U-turn and are now seeking a fee in the region of €80m (£67m), which is said to have infuriated Gyokeres to the point of threatening to strike.

The striker is understood to be ‘furious’ with president Frederico Varandas, after discovering the news and has now told the club’s bosses that he will never pull the Sporting shirt on again.

However, Varandas has not taken to the threats kindly. The president has hit back with some fire of his own as he insists that he will not be held to ransom by Gyokeres.

‘One thing you should already know is me better,’ Varandes claimed as per Record. ‘Threats, blackmail and insults don’t work with me. 

‘I can guarantee that Viktor Gyökeres will not leave for €60m+10m (£51m+£8.5m) because I never promised him that. 

‘This game that the agent is playing only makes the situation worse. To this day, Sporting has not had an offer for Viktor Gyökeres, neither today nor last season.’

With rumours swirling of the ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ between Gyokeres and the club, Vardanas wants clarify what really went on in the meeting between the club and the player’s agent last summer.

While the president has admitted that there was an agreement in regards to the release clause not needing to be met, but the fee they would indeed request was never agreed.

‘It was agreed that Sporting would not demand the release clause at the end of the following season, especially because he was going to be 27,’ added Vardanas. ‘Then, we knew Viktor’s dream of going to a club where he could fight for the Champions League and we have common sense. 

‘We guaranteed that we would not demand 100 million. In that meeting, the agent wanted to anchor the departure to a value, he spoke of 60 million, 70 million… And I said “there’s no point in setting a value” because I don’t know what will happen here in a year, if he gets injured, if he has a disappointing season… There’s no point in setting a value, I don’t know if it will be 40, 60 or 80. What I can guarantee is that I will not demand 100 million’.

‘From then on, I never spoke to the agent again, I never spoke to the player about departures and values. 10 months have passed and I see the agent in the press spouting information here and there, but Sporting has common sense, it keeps its word. 

‘The president of Sporting said that the club would not demand the clause and that we would adjust the value to Viktor’s performance, he was one of the best players ever to step on the pitch in Portugal.’

Gyokeres has removed any reference to Sporting on his Instagram account, having also got rid of any mention of Sweden and Nike.

He has three years remaining on his contract in Lisbon, but he is determined to take on a new challenge after just two years at the club, where he won the league twice, and completed a domestic double this campaign.

Rui Borges, Sporting manager, was asked about Gyokeres when attending an event on Tuesday to mark the 99th anniversary of provincial team Sport Clube de Mirandela – the club where his football journey began – but refused to give anything away.

‘Gyokeres? Sporting’s future begins on July 1st,’ Borges told reporters.

‘That’s all I can say and today I’m here to, above all, salute this tribute that was paid to me. That’s all. I’m on vacation, I’m not here to talk about that.’

Gyokeres, who joined from Championship side Coventry in 2023, has scored a frankly astonishing 97 goals in 102 matches, with 54 of those strikes coming in the season just passed at a rate of over one goal per game.

United are in contact with Sporting over the prolific Swedish striker and are ‘exploring the conditions’ of a potential deal.

The 27-year-old has long been touted as United’s top transfer target, with the Swede having previously worked under Ruben Amorim at Sporting, but still face competition from the Gunners, while Serie A giants Juventus are also said to be interested.

The Red Devils have made initial contact with the Portuguese champions, but the financial impact of United’s failure to qualify for European football looked to have severely damaged their hopes of securing the striker if they continue to hike the price.

The Red Devils have already completed the £62.5m signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves, and they are also keen on Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo who has indicated that he would like to move to Old Trafford.

Cunha and Mbeumo could occupy the two No 10 roles in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation, but he still wants a new forward to lead the line and is eyeing a reunion with Gyokeres after they worked together at Sporting.