Top Arsenal Striker target has evidence he’s telling the truth | OneFootball

Wherever his final destination is, North London, elsewhere or staying put, the Viktor Gyökeres situation could be the biggest transfer saga in Europe this summer.

This is a massive sports story in Portugal, with the player’s agent now claiming to have evidence that his client is telling the truth regarding a verbal agreement with Sporting Lisbon.

The 27-year-old is said to be fuming that his employers have gone back on their word from this time last year. The compromise was that if the Swede gave 12 months more service, he would not then be priced out of a move away.

That is essentially what is happening now, with the Portuguese champions insisting that no such promises were made. Yet the striker’s representatives, on social media, are saying they can prove that is a lie.

Reports suggest not only can a written document be provided stating that the club would accept any offer of 60 million euros with 10 million in add-ons, but also that a voicemail exists from Hugo Viana.

The Director of Football now works at Manchester City, but if this is true, the former Newcastle midfielder has left a bit of a mess at his last place of work.

Contract confusion and legal grey areas

There is, of course, a chance that this was not communicated with the club president Frederico Varandas, who clearly feels that contractually he is only obliged to let his top goalscorer depart if the 85 million euro release clause is triggered.

I am not a lawyer, so while morally it would not be a good look to backtrack on a deal that was agreed upon with a handshake, that does not mean Sporting Lisbon have legally done anything wrong.

Gyökeres’s camp have so far refused any clear-the-air meetings and would even be prepared to take the matter to court.

Yet there is a lot of counter-bluffing at the moment.

While Arsenal deserve criticism for how long it is taking to negotiate for Benjamin Šeško, this is a different situation, in that two parties are offering contrasting information.

(Getty Images)

Arsenal’s patience and Sporting’s risk

The difference between what the Gunners want to pay and what is being asked is 15 million. That is not a lot in the football world, but this is a business at the end of the day. No company is going to invest 100 million euros if their intel tells them they can do the deal for 70. Arsenal are reportedly preparing a bid in the region of €75 to €80 million.

In this game of poker, though, the Primeira Liga giants need to be careful they do not get too clever.

Because the same reason teams are reluctant to pay over the odds is the same reason they cannot be greedy.

Yes, they have an asset, but due to his age that value reduces every season that goes by.

Sporting do not regularly get offered this kind of money, so they need to weigh up the possibility that if they say no now, the same sum is not put back on the table ever again.

Especially now that their employee is angry and has lost all trust in his bosses.

Gyökeres could even make the threat that he will simply wait for another campaign when his value is lower.

While not doubting his professionalism, in his own way he could stress to his manager that it might be hard to keep up his previous impressive stats if not motivated.

If the rumours from Germany are true, then Benjamin Šeško is in danger of talking himself out of a move to the Emirates. A lot of Gooners would not mind if that leads us to Gyökeres.

He has always been the preference for Andrea Berta, but he respected that long term Šeško has been Mikel Arteta’s first choice.

Yet a section of our fanbase have always been more excited by having the finished article rather than potential.

It is the closest we have come to our number one pick changing.

Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Dan Smith

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