‘Betrayal’—Viktor Gyokeres ‘Left Furious’ by Twist in Arsenal Transfer Saga | OneFootball

Arsenal target Viktor Gyökeres is reported to have reacted furiously to the Sporting CP president’s assertion that the club doesn’t “need” to sell the striker.

Gyökeres has become one of the most talked-about forwards in Europe after a season in which he posted 54 goals for Sporting across all competitions and was battling Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappé until the end for the European Golden Shoe, the continent’s top scorer award.

But a transfer to a bigger club is yet to materialise for the Swede and his relationship with Sporting is turning sour as a result of what he is alleged to consider a betrayal.

Gyökeres is believed to be holding onto a verbal agreement made with Sporting last summer that he would be sold this year, for a fee below his €100 million (£85.6 million, $117.2 million) release clause.

Sporting president Federico Varandas has confirmed that the Portuguese champions will accept less than the nine-figure amount, but perhaps not as low a fee as Gyökeres, or his suitors, had hoped. Even though Varandas considers a transfer a “strong likelihood”, the club won’t be forced to sell because of any financial necessity to do so and it will be on their terms.

In Portugal, Record claims that Gyökeres has “directly confronted” Varandas and is refusing to report back for pre-season, even after being granted an extra week off. It is seemingly not the first time he has at least considered going on strike in recent weeks in an attempt to force a transfer.

Gyökeres has just recorded a 54-goal season with Sporting. / IMAGO/Maciej Rogowski

What Varandas said that apparently got Gyökeres so wound up clearly set out Sporting’s expectations of a transfer, comparing him with other deals this summer.

“Sporting has made a commitment that, after weeks of meetings, we will not demand the full amount of the clause; we will be reasonable regarding the amount requested for Viktor,” the president promised.

“We have been watching the market and I saw [Martín] Zubimendi, who is six months younger than Viktor, leave for €65 million (£55.6 million, $76. 2 million). I saw Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, both forwards but who, in my opinion, do not have Viktor's market value or quality, being negotiated for around €75 million (£64.2 million, $87.9 million).

“Given the demands we consider fair, I believe Viktor could leave—unless he has the worst agent in the world, which is hard for me to believe, because he is one of the best footballers in the world.”