According to reports, Viktor Gyokeres feels ‘betrayed’ as he has ‘rejected’ a meeting, while Arsenal have made a decision on meeting his asking price.
Those already bored of this transfer saga better brace themselves for it to drag on for a while longer…
Gyokeres is among this year’s top scorers in Europe and has attracted interest from clubs across Europe in recent months.
The former Coventry City star has been a revelation since joining Sporting Lisbon, grabbing 97 goals and 28 assists in 102 appearances for the Primeira Liga champions.
Despite this, Gyokeres hoped for a smooth exit from Sporting Lisbon this summer as it’s been reported for months that he has a gentleman’s agreement to leave for around 70 million euros.
However, Gyokeres’ relationship with Sporting Lisbon has deteriorated, with club chiefs deciding to demand a much higher fee. It is now being suggested that it could cost as much as 100 million euros to sign him.
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This is currently impacting Gyokeres’ hopes of leaving Sporting Lisbon as Arsenal and Manchester United are yet to meet his asking price.
Arsenal and Man Utd are crying out for a new striker and they have been mooted as the most likely Premier League clubs to sign Gyokeres this summer.
The Gunners are also linked with Benjamin Sesko. Conflicting reports have emerged on who they prefer to sign, but a report from journalist Alfredo Pedulla claims Gyokeres has been their first choice for a while.
“I’ve known for a month that the first choice for Arsenal in the striker position is Gyokeres,” Pedulla told The Italian Football Podcast.
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“Then there were all the issues between the president of Sporting Lisbon and Gyokeres’ agent (over the alleged promises about his asking price).
“Andrea Berta, the new Arsenal sporting director, prefers Gyokeres over Sesko. Many say that Sesko is the first choice of Arsenal. This is not the news I have. Gyokeres is Arsenal’s priority.
“Gyokeres is possible [for Juventus] if Arsenal withdraw [from the race]. Juventus cannot compete with Arsenal.”
Still, Arsenal could easily miss out on Gyokeres this summer, as a new report from Portuguese outlet Record claims they are not currently to pay more than 55 million euros as an initial package.
This opens the door for a hijack, with the report noting that Serie A giants Juventus are stepping up their interest in Gyokeres, who has ‘rejected’ the opportunity to have a meeting with Sporting Lisbon chiefs.
It is said that the striker feels ‘betrayed’ by his current club and currently has no intention to build bridges as he looks to force a summer exit.
