Viktor Gyokeres’ representative has accused Sporting CP of creating a ‘mess’ by offering Manchester United the chance to sign the striker ahead of Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta’s side finally completed their £64 million deal to sign the 27-year-old last weekend following several weeks of negotiations with the Portuguese champions.
Sporting fined Gyokeres €350,000 (£306,000), his entire salary for July, over his refusal to report back for pre-season training earlier this month.
Sporting had also been angered by suggestions from Gyokeres’ agent, Hasan Cetinkaya, that an agreement had been reached over the striker’s transfer fee before the start of the summer window.
However, Jonathan Chalkias, who works alongside Cetinkaya to manage Gyokeres, claims Arsenal were always the first-choice destination, despite Sporting’s attempts to attract interest from rival clubs.
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‘It was a mess,’ Chalkias told Swedish network WTV.
‘There was a gentleman’s agreement with the previous sporting director. If Hugo Viana were still at Sporting, the deal would have been done in an hour.
‘Everything was written, we didn’t have time to start a legal battle.
‘I don’t understand how a player who scored so many goals and won three trophies didn’t deserve more respect. The sacrifices we made were the turning point for the deal to happen.
‘They offered Gyokeres to Real Madrid, they even made headlines with Man United, but there was a commitment with Arsenal.
‘Viktor always trusted Hasan Cetinkaya’s [the striker’s agent] project: they agreed to move to a league with less exposure, like the Portuguese, to win titles and return to the Premier League. At the time, there were already seven Premier League clubs interested.’
In a separate interview to WTV, Gyokeres admits his transfer to Arsenal this summer ‘wasn’t an easy path’.
‘Everyone had to make some sacrifices to get here,’ the striker said.
‘It wasn’t an easy path, but I think sometimes that’s what it takes to get to the top.
‘There were ups and downs, and the last month was very difficult. There was a lot of talk in the press and on social media, but people don’t really know what really happened. It was mentally tough to go through that, but these things also make us stronger.
‘I don’t need to blame anyone, or to say what others did or what decisions they made. I don’t gain anything from that, even though it seems like some people enjoy telling others how to behave. I don’t need to do that.’
When asked about the options he had this summer, Gyokeres replied: ‘There were some clubs in England and Italy, but also in the Middle East. There were some options, very good options.
‘Of course, you think about what you have in front of you. You have to make a decision, but from the first second I felt that this [Arsenal] was what I wanted. It wasn’t a difficult decision.’
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