Sporting CP’s president claims Arsenal and Manchester United missed their chance to sign Viktor Gyokeres at a reduced price due to their own transfer activities.
Sporting CP president Frederico Varandas has stated that Arsenal and Manchester United have only themselves to blame for failing to secure a cut-price deal for Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres. Both Premier League clubs have shown strong interest in the 27-year-old but were recently rebuffed by Sporting, who dismissed rumors of a gentleman’s agreement allowing Gyokeres to leave for less than his £85 million release clause.
Arsenal reportedly had a £55 million bid rejected for the forward, while Manchester United is weighing their options between Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko. Varandas emphasized that Sporting is under no pressure to sell their star player, citing the club’s financial stability and recent successes.
In an interview with Portuguese outlet A Bola, Varandas said, “Sporting is very calm about Gyokeres. We do not need to sell him. However, we remain sensitive to Viktor’s ambitions. The club has a commitment to be reasonable regarding his value based on his performance last season.”
Varandas highlighted recent Premier League transfers as benchmarks for Gyokeres’ valuation, pointing to Arsenal’s €65 million (£55 million) acquisition of Martin Zubimendi and the €70 million sales of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. “Players of similar age but arguably lesser quality have been sold for around €70 million. Given this, we believe our demands are justified,” he added.
He also made it clear that Gyokeres will not leave for less than €70 million, stating, “Viktor will not leave for €60+€10 million. The price has been communicated to his agent, and we are prepared for two scenarios: either a club meets our valuation and Viktor fulfills his dream, or he stays at Sporting, where he is under contract for three more years.”
With Sporting CP celebrating back-to-back league titles, Varandas urged fans to remain calm and enjoy the summer, confident in the club’s ability to retain their key assets or secure a fair deal for their star striker.
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