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The situation between Sporting CP’s star centre forward, Viktor Gyokeres, and president, Frederico Varandas, has deteriorated further in the past 24 hours as the player’s suitors, especially Arsenal and Manchester United, wait and watch to see what unfolds.
The big Swede is desperate to play in the Premier League next season and believes the president has broken his promise to facilitate the move.
Most reports claim Gyokeres wants to play for Arsenal but the Gunners are also pursuing RB Leipzig’s Sesko and are most probably waiting to see which will be the better deal of the two. United are also still in the running, with other reports claiming that they, now, are leading the race for his signature.
According to the player and his agent Hasan Çetinkaya, when attempts were made to sign him in January, Gyokeres agreed to stay at Sporting and help them fight for the Portuguese title on the agreement that he would be allowed to leave this summer for €60 million plus €10 million in bonuses.
However, Varandas reneged on the deal and is demanding €80 million. Gyokeres, due back in training on 7th July, is threatening to strike. Arsenal’s opening offer of €55 million plus €10 million in bonuses, made several weeks ago, remains the only one to have been lodged as the fiasco plays out in a very public manner.
Varandas refuses to climb down
As reported here yesterday, the Sporting president reaffirmed his stance yesterday. He named players such as Martin Zubimendi, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo and noted their transfer fees, indicating that the fair market value for Gyokeres should be in excess of those amounts.
Varandas said he had no need to sell Gyokeres and that although he would not necessarily demand his contractual €100 million release clause, he will insist on a fair amount for the player.
This has not gone down well with the 27 year old.
Gyokeres on the warpath
According to Portuguese outlet Record (today’s paper edition, page 2), “Vik” saw red after hearing the president’s words yesterday, which caused him “deep displeasure”.
“According to information gathered by our newspaper from a source close to the number 9, Gyökeres and Varandas exchanged messages and, in the conversation, the 27-year-old player conveyed three main ideas to the Sporting leader”.
First, the 27 year old said that the president “leaves him no other alternative than to come forward to clarify the controversy surrounding his departure, with his respective points of view on what is at stake.” In other words, brace yourself for a public statement from Gyokeres.
Second, as already reported, the player told Varandas he will “not travel to Lisbon on July 6th nor will he show up for training the following day, as he was supposed to do.”
Gyokeres’ third message to the president was that “he is tired … of hearing Frederico Varandas speak ‘constantly’ to the media with information that he disapproves of and that, in his view, is not credible, as it only intends to divert the focus from a solution.”
The player’s position is good news for his suitors as it undermines Varandas’ power in negotiations, but in terms of how quickly the situation will be resolved, don’t hold your breath.
Featured image Carlos Rodrigues via Getty Images
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