Arsenal
Viktor Gyokeres is reportedly contemplating drastic motion in his bid to drive a transfer from Sporting.
The Swedish striker has been locked in a tug-of-war with Sporting president Frederico Varandas over the payment required for an membership to safe his companies.
Gyokeres has a launch clause of £85million, however his agent Hasan Cetinkaya has claimed Sporting would settle for a switch payment round £60m for the striker on account of a supposed gents’s settlement.
But Varandas got here out swinging and mentioned the membership wouldn’t settle for proposals of £60m, nor would they settle for ‘blackmail or insults now’.
Nonetheless, Portuguese outlet A Bola has reported Gyokeres may strong-arm Sporting right into a sale by refusing to show as much as pre-season coaching.
The report, citing The Occasions’ Transfers Podcast provides Gyokeres, who’s conducting his personal coaching to maintain up his health in the course of the summer time, is ‘sure’ he doesn’t need to play for Sporting once more.
In the meantime, Guardian journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed Gyokeres is ‘heartbroken’ over Sporting’s refusal to honour the alleged settlement between himself and the membership concerning a decrease switch payment.
Sporting’s gamers are anticipated to report for pre-season on July 1 earlier than they head to Lagos within the Algarve to proceed their preparations.
Gyokeres is a striker in demand this summer time after he slammed house a staggering 54 objectives in simply 52 video games for Sporting within the 2024/25 season.
The 27-year-old’s objectives helped Sporting win back-to-back Primeira Liga titles for the primary time in 73 years.
Arsenal are in pole place for Gyokeres’ signature, as talkSPORT understands the Swede has informed household and mates he expects to maneuver to the Emirates.
Gyokeres shifting to the Gunners can be a bitter blow for Manchester United, who had been additionally closely concerned about his companies.
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Curiosity from Man United stemmed from Gyokeres’ pre-existing relationship with Pink Devils boss Ruben Amorim, because the pair labored collectively at Sporting earlier than the latter succeeded Erik ten Hag in November final yr.
However the truth Arsenal can supply Champions League soccer whereas United couldn’t might have swayed Gyokeres in his decision-making course of.
Information of Gyokeres’ want to affix the Gunners got here simply days after it emerged he was decided to push by a summer time swap to the Premier League.
Gyokeres can be Arsenal’s first signing of the summer time window and a serious assertion of intent as they appear to shake off the tag of perennial bridesmaid.
Mikel Arteta’s aspect ended the 2024/25 Premier League season in second, the membership’s third successive runners-up end and ten factors behind eventual winners Liverpool.
Ought to Gyokeres arrive on the Emirates, he’ll add some important firepower to an assault wherein no participant registered greater than ten league objectives.
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Kai Havertz completed as Arsenal’s main goalscorer within the Premier League final time period with a tally of 9, though he missed 14 video games on account of a mixture of sickness and harm.
One former Premier League supervisor who believes the signing of Gyokeres would characterize a serious coup for the Gunners is Sean Dyche, who was in command of Everton after they performed Sporting in a pre-season pleasant.
Talking on talkSPORT, Dyche mentioned: “The boy Gyokeres, I’ve received to be sincere, I believe he is an actual participant. I noticed him within the Championship.”
The previous Burnley boss added: “Then we performed him in pre-season and I assumed, ‘Sturdy, sincere’.
“Not simply the actual fact he was scoring objectives by the best way, there’s extra to his recreation I believe.”
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