Gyokeres transfer saga continues in court. The elongated transfer saga of Gyokeres from Sporting CP to Arsenal took an unexpected legal turn. The striker’s agent, Hasan Cetinkaya, filed lawsuits against Sporting and the Sweden media. This will only prolong the twisted saga that ruled the summer transfer window.
Background: A Contested Transfer
Gyokeres’ £63.5 million move to Arsenal finalized only after weeks of tense negotiations. During which the player refused to attend pre-season training amid claims of a breached “gentleman’s agreement”. This allowed him to leave for €60 million plus add-ons. Sporting president Frederico Varandas publicly dismissed such agreements, fined Gyokeres, and criticized the player’s representatives.
🚨 BREAKING from @TheSunFootball:
Viktor Gyökeres HAS AGREED to be called upon as a WITNESS in a case involving his agent Hasan Cetinkaya, who is taking 2 Swedish publications to court for defamation.
He COULD MISS key Arsenal matches NEXT YEAR with the case in Sweden! 🇸🇪 💼 pic.twitter.com/ztDT7ELwO4
— Le African Gooner (@leafricangooner) September 7, 2025
Agent Waives Commission
Cetinkaya ultimately waived his 10% commission (~€6.35 million) to facilitate the deal. A move Varandas later mocked by stating, “I made €90 million and paid no commission. They’re excellent agents.”
Dual Lawsuits Filed
Now, Cetinkaya is preparing to sue Sporting. He is also arguing he was “illegitimately urged” to forfeit his fee and faced slander from Varandas. Gyokeres will likely testify in support of his agent. Moreover, he is likely bringing the striker into a courtroom feud against his former club. Simultaneously, Cetinkaya filed a defamation lawsuit in Sweden against Fotboll Sthlm and the Expressen. This came with allegations that the agency is linking to criminals gangs of some type, bringing Gyokeres in as a witness in this case.
Potential Distraction for Arsenal
For Arsenal, the whole thing has the potential to store up a messy distraction for their record signing. Moreover, he remains under the spotlight for his performances against Manchester United and Liverpool. The club surely wanted to put the transfer sagas in the past, instead the outcome is now that their most high-profile striker is now presented with the unenviable position of being landed in cross jurisdictional litigation.
The Gyokeres saga is a classic illustration of the complicated nature of footballing transfers, agent commissions, corporate permission, and rhetoric. However, as legal wrangling comes, their is potential for the fallout from the case to impact future negotiations and club-agent relationships, exposing tensions that go overlooked in the shimmering aftermath of mega-transfers.