Viktor Gyokeres wants to leave Sporting CP this summer and is reportedly keen on a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal and Manchester United linked
Viktor Gyokeres celebrates scoring for Sporting Lisbon
Viktor Gyokeres is angling for a move away from Lisbon this summer
(Image: Gualter Fatia/Getty Images.)
Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres is embroiled in a major transfer saga with multiple Premier League giants reportedly showing interest in the 27-year-old forward.
Two years after joining Sporting from Coventry City, Gyokeres is rumoured to be considering drastic measures to leave the Portuguese side this transfer window. Allegedly, the Sweden international is weighing up going on strike to facilitate a move, as links to Arsenal and Manchester United gain traction.
Bidding clubs face conflict with Sporting's firm stance, with the Portuguese club said to be holding out for £67million, conflicting with Gyokeres' belief that he could leave for around £60m.
This isn't the first instance of a Sporting player being in a high-profile transfer tangle. Bruno Fernandes wasn't easily prised away when United and their Premier League counterparts came calling.
It wasn't until the 2020 winter window that the Red Devils clinched Fernandes for £67.8m. Adding to the drama back then, Cristiano Ronaldo chimed in with a direct statement on Fernandes' predicament during an interview with TVi. Ronaldo declared: "Nobody knows why he doesn't leave."
The United legend also revealed personal words of encouragement to Fernandes, pushing him to reach his prime by leaving Sporting, hinting at high expectations for Portugal's emerging talents. He concluded: "Possibly this new generation will be the best at the talent level.
Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting CP bites the medal during the Liga Portugal Betclic Champions Trophy Celebrations.
Gyokeres is reportedly subject to interest from Arsenal and United(Image: Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)
"But that's not enough. They have to want to. I have spoken to him. I'm a captain who wants to help and be helped." Gyokeres, although not an international team-mate of Ronaldo's, can certainly relate to what the now Al-Nassr forward said to Fernandes. Ronaldo also left Sporting to join United in a £12.2m move back in 2003.
Sir Alex Ferguson acknowledged that United had a positive relationship with Sporting, but admitted that the deal took "some time" to finalise. United failed to sign Fernandes in the summer transfer market of 2019 and were on the brink of missing out on him again the following January, but managed to secure a deal with just one day left of the window.
If United are to sign Gyokeres this year, they may face a similar waiting game. Portuguese outlet Record reports that Gyokeres believed he and the club had a gentleman's agreement to allow him to leave if a bid of £50m plus £8.4m in add-ons was made.
MUNICH, GERMANY - JUNE 04: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal gestures after scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Nations League 2025 semifinal match between Germany and Portugal at Munich Football Arena on June 04, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Cristiano Ronaldo previously admitted that Bruno Fernandes needed to leave Sporting
However, Sporting president Frederico Varandas recently refuted the existence of this agreement. The club chief stated: "I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for 60m euros plus 10m euros because I never promised that. To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres - neither today nor last season."
The prolific forward has bagged an eye-watering 97 goals in just 102 matches since his £20m switch from Coventry City in 2023. Reports from CNN Portugal claim that Hasan Cetinkaya, Gyokeres' agent, has met with Arsenal's hierarchy.
The Gunners are said to be in "very advanced" talks to sign the striker. The north London side also dispatched officials to Lisbon last month to negotiate the transfer, but at the same time they remain interested in RB Leipzig's prodigy Benjamin Sesko.
According to the Daily Mail, despite Sesko being a long-term target for Arsenal, Leipzig are not considering bids below £75m.