Striker Viktor Gyokeres speaks out on transfer speculation amidst interest from Manchester United and Arsenal, delivering a straightforward declaration of 22 words.
TIRFING WITH VIKTOR GYOKERES:The Swedish striker, VIKTOR GYOKERES, hasn't been shy about his displeasure with the sports executives at Sporting Lisbon, following what he perceives as a broken promise for a dream transfer. According to rumors, Gyokeres and the Sporting bigwigs have had a disagreement over a proposed move to the Premiership.
The 27-year-old powerhouse is said to be upset with Sporting for allegedly reneging on a promise to drop his £84million release clause. Gyokeres believes that they had agreed to let him go for £50million upfront with another £8million in add-ons. However, the president, Frederico Varandas, has vehemently denied this claim.
Rumors have it that Gyokeres was so infuriated that he threatened to hold out on playing for the club unless they lowered their offer.
But Varandas isn't backing down. He declared, "Sporting will not cave to blackmail and insults - you should know me better by now."
Attempting to quell the squabble rumors, Gyokeres recently posted a cryptic message on his Instagram story, "There's a lot of chatter out there; most of it is bullsh*t. I'll talk when the time comes."
The drama escalated as Arsenal allegedly presented a new bid for Gyokeres on Wednesday, as his agent, Hasan Cetinkaya, traveled to London to expedite the transfer.
Varandas also released a statement, "I can guarantee that Gyokeres will not leave for €60m+10m (£51m+£8.5m) because I never promised him that." He added, "The club has not received an offer for Gyokeres, neither today nor last season."
What actually happened during their negotiations remains unclear. What is certain, however, is that the Swede is one of the most sought-after players this summer. His stellar performance in the past couple of seasons for Sporting has made him a hot commodity, netting a staggering 97 goals in 102 matches. He had a particularly impressive season in 2024-2025, scoring 54 goals in 52 outings - including a Champions League hat-trick against Manchester City.
Arsenal seems to be leading the race to acquire Gyokeres, as new director of football Andrea Berta is reportedly a big fan. Although Gyokeres had the opportunity to join Manchester United, he apparently opted against it due to their lack of European football.
Amidst the chaos, Gyokeres has purged any mention of Sporting and Sweden from his Instagram profile, hinting at his intention to move on. Dead set on a fresh challenge, he's prepared to leave Sporting after only two years, during which he won the league twice and a domestic double. It looks like the Arsenal saga is only just beginning.
- Viktor Gyokeres's displeasure with Sports executives at Sporting Lisbon stems from a perceived broken promise for a move to the European Premier League, specifically Arsenal.
- With Arsenal leading the race for Gyokeres, it seems that the quest for a fresh challenge in the Premier League may manifest his departure from Sporting Lisbon, where he had an impressive two-year tenure marked by two league titles and a domestic double.
