Viktor Gyokeres has turned down a move to Manchester United with the Sporting CP star ready to join Arsenal.
Ruben Amorim is eager to sign a centre forward this summer as part of his Old Trafford rebuild and wants a reunion with his former Sporting star in Manchester.
But United have been told they are not an option for the Sweden international, with Gyokeres delivering an emphatic ‘no’ in response to their interest.
Gyokeres’ decision was relayed through his agent on Friday, Record report, with United officially informed he is not considering them.
United’s woeful Premier League campaign and defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final means they have no European football on offer next season.
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While some targets have been undeterred by that with Matheus Cunha sealing his move this week, failure to qualify for the Champions League has already seen Liam Delap choose Chelsea over United with Gyokeres the latest to turn them down.
It leaves Arsenal as the favourites to land the striker who netted an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances last season.
Arsenal’s sporting director, Andrea Berta, met with Sporting officials to discuss a deal this week with an initial approach worth an €55m (£46.8m) plus a further €10m (£8.5m) in add-ons rejected. An improved offer is expected.
A furious row has erupted between Sporting and Gyokeres this week, with his representatives accusing the club of breaking promises made last summer.
Claims Sporting have agreed to sell €60m (£51m) plus a further €10m (£8.5m) in add-ons have been dismissed by Sporting’s president, Frederico Varandas, who has hit out at Gyokeres’ agent Hasan Cetinkaya for ‘making the situation worse.’
Gyokeres has a release clause of€100m, with Sporting previously prepared to let him go for less than that amount. However, given the growing tension between the parties involved, that could now change.
During his negotiations to bring Gyokeres to Sporting in a £20m deal from Coventry City two years ago, Cetinkaya secured an exclusive sales mandate which means that the Portuguese champions will have to pay the agent 10 per cent of the value of any rejected offer above €60m (£51m).
It is understood that if Cetinkaya decides to activate that mandate this summer, Sporting will respond by demanding that Gyokeres’ €100m (£85.1m) release clause is paid in full.
Arsenal have been exploring a deal for Gyokeres for a number of months. The club have also held talks with RB Leipzig over a move for Benjamin Sesko.