Viktor Gyokeres is reportedly considering drastic action in his bid to force a move from Sporting.
The Swedish forward finds himself in a standoff with Sporting’s president, Frederico Varandas, regarding the transfer fee needed for a club eager to add him to their roster.
While Gyokeres has an £85 million release clause, his agent, Hasan Cetinkaya, suggests that Sporting might settle for a transfer fee of around £60 million, based on an alleged gentleman’s agreement.
Yet Varandas came out swinging and said the club would not accept proposals of £60m, nor would they accept ‘blackmail or insults now’.
However, Portuguese outlet A Bola has reported Gyokeres could strong-arm Sporting into a sale by refusing to turn up to pre-season training.
According to The Times’ Transfers Podcast, Gyokeres, who is maintaining his fitness independently over the summer, is ‘certain’ about his decision to not play for Sporting again.
Meanwhile, Guardian journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed Gyokeres is ‘heartbroken’ over Sporting’s refusal to honour the alleged agreement between himself and the club regarding a lower transfer fee.
Sporting’s players are expected to report for pre-season on July 1 before they head to Lagos in the Algarve to continue their preparations.
Gyokeres is a striker in demand this summer after he slammed home a staggering 54 goals in just 52 games for Sporting in the 2024/25 season.
The 27-year-old’s goals helped Sporting win back-to-back Primeira Liga titles for the first time in 73 years.
Arsenal are in pole position for Gyokeres’ signature, as talkSPORT understands the Swede has told family and friends he expects to move to the Emirates.
Gyokeres moving to the Gunners would be a bitter blow for Manchester United, who were also heavily interested in his services.
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Interest from Man United stemmed from Gyokeres’ pre-existing relationship with Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim, as the pair worked together at Sporting before the latter succeeded Erik ten Hag in November last year.
But the fact Arsenal can offer Champions League football while United could not may have swayed Gyokeres in his decision-making process.
News of Gyokeres’ desire to join the Gunners came just days after it emerged he was determined to push through a summer switch to the Premier League.
Gyokeres would be Arsenal’s first signing of the summer window and a major statement of intent as they look to shake off the tag of perennial bridesmaid.
Mikel Arteta’s side ended the 2024/25 Premier League season in second, the club’s third successive runners-up finish and ten points behind eventual winners Liverpool.
Should Gyokeres arrive at the Emirates, he will add some vital firepower to an attack in which no player registered more than ten league goals.
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Kai Havertz finished as Arsenal’s leading goalscorer in the Premier League last term with a tally of nine, although he missed 14 games due to a mix of illness and injury.
One former Premier League manager who believes the signing of Gyokeres would represent a major coup for the Gunners is Sean Dyche, who was in charge of Everton when they played Sporting in a pre-season friendly.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Dyche said: “The boy Gyokeres, I’ve got to be honest, I think he’s a real player. I saw him in the Championship.”
The former Burnley boss added: “Then we played him in pre-season and I thought, ‘Strong, honest’.
“Not just the fact he was scoring goals by the way, there’s more to his game I think.”
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