‘Blackmail’—Man Utd, Arsenal Pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres Takes Astonishing Twist

Sporting CP president Frederico Varandas has responded to “threats and insults” with a clearer vier of Gyökeres price tag.

Viktor Gyökeres future appears more and more complicated. | IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

Sporting CP president Frederico Varandas has warned Viktor Gyökeres’s various suitors that the club’s leading talisman will not be available for a cut-price fee and accused the striker’s agent of trying to “blackmail” him.

After two years as a virtual guarantee of a goal per game, Gyökeres is widely expected to leave the Lisbon giants this summer. Arsenal and Manchester United are the two Premier League clubs most regularly linked with a move for the 27-year-old, while there has also been speculation of interest from Atlético Madrid in Spain.

Any deal for Gyökeres was made all the more appealing by widespread suggestions that there had been a “gentleman’s agreement” with the club which would allow the forward to leave for considerably less than his €100 million (£84.6 million, 114.3 million) buyout clause. The supposed structure of an acceptable offer for Gyökeres was thought to be set at an upfront sum of €60 million (£50.8 million, $68.6 million) with a further €10 million (£8.5 million, $11.4 million) in add-ons.

Yet, just as United appeared to be ramping up their pursuit of the relentless goalscorer, it was reported that Sporting had reneged on that gentleman’s agreement.

Viktor Gyökeres has been reluctant to make any definitive statement about his uncertain future. | IMAGO/Maciej Rogowski

Varandas confirmed those suggestions with a forceful statement on Wednesday morning. “Sporting will not demand the release clause, but they should know me better by now: threats, blackmail, insults, they don't work with me,” the club president told A BOLA at an event for the club’s museum.

“I can guarantee one thing,” Varandas continued, “Viktor Gyökeres will not leave for €60 million + €10 million. He won’t leave because I never allowed it, and the way his agent is playing is only making the situation worse.”

The outspoken president added: “Today is the 11th, what time is it? 11:45? To this day, Sporting has not had a single offer for Viktor Gyökeres, not today or last summer.”

Before this news broke, both Arsenal and United had explored different striker targets. The Gunners have been steadily advancing in negotiations with RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Šeško while Ruben Amorim’s focus appears to remain on striking a deal for the versatile Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo.

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