Viktor Gyokeres' agent reportedly lacks a 'signed letter' from Sporting CP allowing the player to depart for a fee less than his release clause, according to Portuguese media. The Swedish striker's impressive form over the past two seasons has attracted interest from Premier League heavyweights Arsenal and Manchester United.
However, it seems that Gyokeres is more inclined towards a move to north London under Mikel Arteta rather than reuniting with his former manager, Ruben Amorim, at Old Trafford. Yet, his dream transfer to Arsenal appears to have hit a snag due to the hefty fee demanded by the Portuguese champions. Earlier reports suggested that the 27-year-old forward could leave Sporting for a sum below his £84m release clause.
His representative, Hassan Cetinkaya, alleged that he had a gentleman's agreement with the club last summer, which would see them accept any offer around £60m, even claiming to have a signed letter as evidence.
Sporting's president Frederico Varandas has accused Gyokeres' team of attempting to 'blackmail' the Portuguese giants into letting their star player go. Consequently, the club are holding out for a significantly larger fee, which has put his potential departure on hold.
In a striking revelation on the Jogo Aberto podcast, insiders Luís Aguilar, Marco Caneira, and Pedro Henriques dissected the contentious situation at Sporting over the transfer clause dispute involving forward Gyokeres.
Caneira, an ex-Sporting player, assured listeners that "Sporting are calm, the agent's main problem is the contract he has with the player, which is coming to an end."
Former Benfica ace Henriques added: "Gyokeres' agent's strategy only creates chaos and discomfort."
A fresh report from Portuguese news outlet A Bola cuts through the fog, debunking claims of such an agreement between Sporting and Gyokeres and revealing instead a clause entitling the agent to pocket 10 per cent from offers exceeding £51.3m.
Should this particular term be activated, Sporting will hold out for the whopping £84m release fee – a demand that Gyokeres, irked by the club's position, might not find palatable.
Tensions escalate as it emerges that Gyokeres has flirted with the idea of a strike, amidst pledges to break his silence 'at the right time'.
Arsenal are not solely focused on Gyokeres, due to complications surrounding his departure from Sporting. They are also pursuing Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig, as they seek the most cost-effective deal.
On the other hand, United have found it challenging to build on their acquisition of Matheus Cunha from Wolves, with Tottenham's interest in Bryan Mbuemo causing a delay in proceedings.