Viktor Gyokeres furious at Sporting as Arsenal wait

Sporting’s shifting stance over Gyokeres’s future has apparently angered the striker, who now risks seeing his Premier League move stall over a price hike and internal politics.

Gyokeres furious with Sporting
He promised to speak "at the right time": know what the Swede has to say. Upset and disappointed due to the promise of exit and the expectation created
A BOLA18 Jun 2025
"There are a lot of conversations at the moment, most of them false. I will speak at the right time." This is how Viktor Gyokeres reacted, through a message on social networks, last week and when the exchange of words and arguments between Sporting and the manager of the 26-year-old forward, Hasan Cetinkaya, about the departure of the goalscorer from Alvalade boiled. Now the ball reveals what the forward has to say publicly: that he is angry and disillusioned with the green and white.

The disappointment and fury of Gyokeres, they explain to us, is based on the promise of leaving made last summer, still in force by sporting director Hugo Viana, for a lower amount than the termination clause-60/70 million euros instead of €100 M.it was this promise argument for the continuity of the Swedish international in 2025/2026, Champions year, which turned out to be the the double and the unprecedented double championship in 70 years that Gyokeres helped a lot to conquer.

Finished the season in glory began the summer in ... restlessness. Because Gyokeres created the legitimate expectation of leaving for a big club from a big championship, with the English Premier League at the top of the preferences and with Arsenal very interested. But the figures so far advanced are not enough to convince the leonine administration. There are still only 55 million euros waved by Londoners plus 10 million for objectives and without presentation of any formal proposal, it is said. Below the 60/70 million that the player and agents had in mind, much lower than the 80 million that meanwhile the leonine President, Frederico Varandas, guaranteed to be necessary to rescue Gyokeres de Alvalade.

"Sporting will not demand the termination clause but they should already know me better, threats, blackmail, offenses, do not work with me. One thing I can guarantee: Viktor Gyokeres does not leave for €60 M + €10 M. He does not leave, because I never allowed it, and with this game that the agent is doing it only worsens the situation", said Varandas last Wednesday, on the sidelines of the inauguration of the new spaces of the Sporting Museum of Leiria.

INTERESTED PARTIES

This whole situation then makes Gyokeres very upset and he has already told the sporting leader about it. At a time when the striker is enjoying a vacation, there are a total of five clubs that at this point appear to be interested, with Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and the Saudis of Al Ahli in a second line and the aforementioned Arsenal and Juventus in front. The Swede, it is already known, prefers England but not any club: in addition to the gunners he would welcome calls from Manchester City and Liverpool. Outside England, Real Madrid and Barcelona, in Spain; PSG in France; Bayern in Germany are on the list of favorites of the goalscorer.

Formal proposals continue to be lacking (as Sporting's official source confirms to us) but Arsenal have effectively already approached the Lions and advanced with 55 million plus 10 per goals and can advance with other figures, it remains to be seen if enough to convince the Lions. And in Italy, Juve have a plan to reach the 80-figure mark that would be accepted and would end with a soap opera that promises to go ahead during the summer.

Meanwhile and once the transfer has not been resolved, Gyokeres will have to report to Alvalade in early July for the start of pre-season work... even if very upset and disappointed.

REJECTED BY REAL

On the other hand, it is known that there is a clause in the contract that obliges Sporting to pay Gyokeres ' agent 10 percent of the rejected offer value if it exceeds 60 million euros. But the Lions threaten to demand the full amount of the striker's termination, 100 million euros, if said clause is activated. One more problem in this gear…

At a time when it was reported in England, by The Athletic, that the representatives of Viktor Gyokeres contacted the management of Real Madrid to offer the Sporting forward and saw this possibility denied by the merengues — they will have explained that they are not looking for reinforcements for the attack, especially after the signing of Franco Mastantuono, although it is an offensive midfielder, contracted to River Plate—, in London Arsenal fans ask for the hiring of the lion, as it was verified in a report by TNT Sports that went to the street to hear opinions of arsenalists about which striker should the club sign. Gyokeres has emerged in front, the same one who is furious with the situation he is living and who will naturally stop being if he really heads to London…

Gyokeres, it is recalled, was signed from Conventry in the summer of 2023 for €20 million plus 4 million for goals. He has a contract with Sporting valid until 2028. — Gyokeres furious with Sporting – A Bola 18 June 2025

Viktor Gyokeres is understood to be furious with Sporting CP over what he considers a broken promise regarding a summer transfer, after the Portuguese club backtracked on a verbal agreement to sanction his exit for significantly less than his €100 million release clause. They claim the agreed clause was never ratified.

The 27-year-old Sweden international has been left “upset and disillusioned”, according to A Bola, after being assured last year by Hugo Viana that Sporting would accept an offer in the region of €60–70 million (£50–59 million). That promise helped convince Gyokeres to stay in Lisbon in January and lead the line during a campaign that ended with the club’s first league and cup double in 70 years.

With the season over and Arsenal showing concrete interest, that understanding has since unravelled.

Sporting president Frederico Varandas is now demanding significantly more. Speaking last week, Varandas said: “Sporting will not demand the termination clause but they should already know me better, threats, blackmail, offences, do not work with me. One thing I can guarantee: Viktor Gyokeres does not leave for €60 million plus €10 million. He does not leave, because I never allowed it, and with this game that the agent is doing it only worsens the situation.”

LISBON, PORTUGAL - NOVEMBER 22: Goal scorer Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting CP before the start of the Portuguese Cup match between Sporting CP and Amarante FC at Estadio Jose Alvalade on November 22, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images) — Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images

Arsenal have made an informal approach worth €55 million (£46.3 million) plus €10 million (£8.4 million) in add-ons, but it falls short of both the figure discussed with Gyokeres’s representatives and Sporting’s revised valuation which is now closer to €80m. They are expected to meet for a second round of talks this week.

Despite claims of interest from Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, and Al Ahli, Arsenal remain one of the striker’s preferred destinations, alongside Manchester City and Liverpool, who haven’t been linked.

Sources suggest he would also consider Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, or Bayern Munich, although Madrid have reportedly rejected an approach from his representatives, Barcelona don’t have any money and PSG have shown no interest at this point.

There is added friction behind the scenes due to a clause in Gyokeres’s contract that entitles his agent to 10 percent of any rejected bid above €60 million with Sporting allegedly saying they would demand the full €100m release clause if the agent’s clause was activated.

Silly season, indeed.

Gyokeres is currently on holiday but is expected to report back to Alvalade in early July for pre-season. As things stand, he will return as a deeply frustrated player whose dream move is no closer to completion.

He is under contract until 2028.