Arsenal and Manchester United still appear to be the prime candidates to sign Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting CP, but the transfer saga has taken a dramatic new turn.
Growing discord with Sporting
The relationship between Gyökeres and Sporting CP is becoming increasingly strained. The striker feels that the club has broken a gentleman’s agreement to let him leave for a reasonable sum this summer, while the Portuguese champions are unhappy with the agent’s behaviour.
Super agent Jorge Mendes, who has previously represented Cristiano Ronaldo, offered to mediate in the situation. He believed that his good relations with both Sporting and Gyökeres’ stakeholders – especially Manchester United – could make a transfer easier.
Read: Liverpool prepare record bid to secure star striker
According to Record, Mendes was wrong. Gyökeres’ real agent, Hasan Cetinkaya, is said to have rejected all attempts by the experienced broker and left him “annoyed”. Cetinkaya claims that he has exclusive authority for the Swedish international.
Revealing audio recording pulls Sporting executive into the fray
Manchester City’s sporting director Hugo Viana (former Sporting player) has also been dragged into the drama. Record reveals that an audio recording has surfaced in which Viana agrees that Gyökeres can be sold for 60 million euros plus 10 million in bonuses.
This is in stark contrast to club president Federico Varandas’ statements earlier this summer, when he claimed that the 27-year-old would not be sold for that price:
“The agent talked to us about including some clauses. Hugo Viana handled, as always, the dialogue with the agents. But when the agent wanted to pin a sum on a future transfer, I said clearly: ‘It makes no sense to set a fixed price now – I don’t know if he will be worth 40, 60 or 80 million in a year. The only thing I can guarantee is that we will not demand 100 million.'”
Varandas added:
“Sporting will not accept blackmail or insults. We keep our word, but 60 million plus bonuses are not enough.”
Gyökeres is waiting for Arsenal
According to Record, Gyökeres is willing to wait for Arsenal to make a concrete offer. With Via’s audio recordings as proof, the player’s team will now pressure Sporting to stick to the original sum – which could reignite the Gunners’ interest.
It is also described as Gyökeres’ “dream” to play for Arsenal, confirming previous reports from TalkSport that he would prefer to go to the Emirates Stadium.
Conclusion:
After this audio recording, the battle for Gyökeres may suddenly have become much more open – and Arsenal may be ready to strike. But Sporting shows no signs of giving up without a significant sum.
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