Sporting Lisbon have told Viktor Gyokeres that his attempts to force a move to Arsenal will come to nothing unless the Gunners come back with a more compelling offer.
The Sweden international failed to report for a pre-season training camp in the Algarve over the weekend, frustrated by what he believes is a broken gentleman’s agreement that would have allowed him to leave for €70 million this summer.
His absence wasn’t unexpected; he’d already informed the club of his intention not to return. A move we like to call “the Wiltord.”
Arsenal have made Gyokeres their top target to reinforce Mikel Arteta’s forward line following the breakdown of negotiations with RB Leipzig over Benjamin Sesko.
It’s understood that Andrea Berta has submitted a proposal worth €65 million plus €15 million in add-ons, but Sporting president Frederico Varandas is holding out for more of the fee to be guaranteed before greenlighting a deal for the 27-year-old.
In a statement issued via Portuguese news agency LUSA, Varandas made his position crystal clear:
“We’re calm. Everything can be solved with the closure of the market, a hefty fine and an apology to the group. If they don’t want to pay Viktor’s fair market value, we’ll be very comfortable with [keeping him] for the next three years.
“If the geniuses who are devising this strategy think that this puts pressure on me to make it easier for him to leave, not only are they completely wrong, but they are also making it more complicated for the player to leave. No one is above the interests of the club. Whoever they are.”
This isn’t the first time Sporting have played hardball over a player moving to north London. A couple of years ago, Pedro Porro’s move to Sp*rs looked to be on the brink of collapse during drawn-out negotiations, only for the deal to be revived at the last minute.
Varandas is likely banking on unrest in the Arsenal fanbase to pile pressure on Berta. But the Italian, who’s also working to finalise a deal for Noni Madueke in the next 48 hours, is unlikely to be rattled. He’s an experienced operator and doesn’t strike us as the sort to blink first.
Meanwhile, Gyokeres has been speaking to the French press about his rise to prominence, telling L’Equipe that he now considers himself among the elite attacking names in world football.
“I’m definitely one of them. It’s hard to classify me, but yes, I’m at the same table as them now. They are extraordinary players, at the top level for many years, who have proven much more than I have.
“For my part, I have to show that I am capable of maintaining these performances season after season. What I managed to do at Sporting, I am convinced I can achieve anywhere. You haven’t seen the best Gyokeres yet.”
As we understand it, Mikel Arteta was hoping to have a new striker in place for the club’s upcoming trip to Singapore and Hong Kong. For that to happen, a breakthrough in talks between Arsenal and Sporting needs to happen fast.
At this point, we think it’s fair to say this one has officially hit ‘saga’ status.