Sporting’s president Frederico Varandas has highlighted the fee Manchester United spent on Matheus Cunha in his latest message to Arsenal over a possible transfer deal for Viktor Gyokeres.
Arsenal are believed to be leading the race for Gyokeres, but have come up against a brick wall in their pursuit of the 27-year-old attacker, with Sporting refusing to be bullied into an agreement for their prized possession.
Gyokeres’ camp had been under the impression the forward could secure a move away from Lisbon should Sporting receive an offer of €60million plus €10m (£50m plus £8m) in add-ons from a potential suitor this summer.
But Sporting turned down Arsenal’s opening £46.8m offer for Gyokeres and the club’s outright refusal to ease their demands has reportedly left the Primiera Liga top scorer ‘furious’. The prolific Swede is even threatening to go on strike to force through a switch to the Emirates.
It’s understood Gyokeres has no interest in joining Manchester United and has told close friends and family that he expects to be playing Champions League football with the Gunners next season.
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However, the north Londoners would be prepared to walk away from a deal for Gyokeres and concentrate their efforts on signing RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko if Sporting continue to play hardball over the coming days and weeks.
‘Sporting are very calm about Gyokeres, we do not need to sell Gyokeres,’ Sporting president Varandas said ahead of the club’s general assembly this weekend.
‘We have already passed the stage where we have to sell our best assets. We do not have to sell him.
‘But in the same way that we do not have to sell him, we are still sensitive to Viktor’s dreams.
‘Sporting has a commitment, made by the president, not to ask for the value of the termination clause and to be reasonable in relation to Viktor’s performance last season.’
Varandas believes the fee United spent to capture Cunha more than justifies his current stance on Gyokeres, given the Brazilian ‘does not have the quality’ of Sporting’s star striker.
‘If you ask me today, there is a strong possibility that Viktor will leave,’ he added.
‘Over the last few weeks, we have been keeping an eye on the market, I saw a player like [Martin] Zubimendi, who is six months younger than Viktor, go to Arsenal for €65m.
‘I saw two players being sold in the Premier League – Matheus Cunha and [Bryan] Mbeumo – forwards who do not have the quality of Viktor, in my opinion, sold for around €75m (Brentford have not yet agreed to sell Mbeumo).
‘We are talking about players who are 26 years old old.
‘So given the demands we make in relation to Viktor’s value, I believe he could leave, unless he has the worst agent in the world.
‘But I find that hard to believe because he is one of the best footballers in the world.’
Not for the first time, Varandas ‘guaranteed’ that the Portuguese champions would not bow to outside pressure and drop their asking price for Gyokeres.
‘I won’t say what the price we’re asking for. It was communicated to the agent. But I can guarantee that Viktor won’t leave for €60m plus €10m,’ he continued.
‘Viktor already knows this and I want Sporting fans to know this and to take advantage of this summer, when they’re two-time champions, when they’ve won a double, to celebrate and be at peace.
‘There are only two scenarios: a club respects Viktor’s fair market value and Viktor will fulfil his dream, and from that moment on we’ll be ready to attack the targets.
‘The other scenario is that a club doesn’t want Viktor and Viktor, with a three-year contract, stays with Sporting and we’ll be very happy about that.’
The likes of Juventus and Atletico Madrid have been credited with a strong interest in Gyokeres, in addition to United and Arsenal, in recent months.
Reports emanating out of Portugal last week suggested Liverpool had also entered the fray and opened initial talks for the forward, with the Premier League champions on the lookout for Darwin Nunez’s would-be replacement.
Gyokeres, formerly of Coventry City and Brighton, has a €100m (£85.1m) release clause in his contract at Sporting, which runs through to June 2028.
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