Arsenal transfer goal Viktor Gyokeres has a €60 million (£51.4m) clause in his contract with Sporting CP which has turn into energetic from July 1.
Each Arsenal and Manchester United have held extensive talks to sign Gyokeres this summer but haven’t reached an agreement over a transfer fee with Sporting.
Last month, Arsenal’s sporting director, Andrea Berta, met along with his counterpart at Sporting, Bernardo Palmeiro, in Menorca to debate a deal for the striker, who finished last season with 54 goals in 52 appearances and helped the Portuguese club win the league and cup double.
Nevertheless, Arsenal’s initial bid value an €55m (£46.8m) plus €10m (£8.5m) in add-ons was rejected.
Gyokeres has a €100 million (£85.1m) release clause in his contract but Sporting have been willing to sell the Sweden international for lower than that quantity.
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Nevertheless, Sporting’s president, Frederico Varandas was angered by claims that the club have agreed to sell Gyokeres for €60m (£51m) plus €10m (£8.5m) in add-ons and warned the striker’s representative, Hasan Cetinkaya, that he’s ‘making the situation worse’.
Based on A Bola, during his negotiations to bring Gyokeres to Sporting in a £20m deal from Coventry City two years ago, Cetinkaya secured an exclusive sales mandate which implies that Sporting will probably be required to pay the agent 10 per cent of the worth of any rejected offer above €60m (£51m).
Sporting have warned Cetinkaya that if the clause in Gyokeres’ contract is activated, they’ll demand that the striker’s €100m (£85.1m) release clause is met.
The Portuguese club are understood to be willing to sell Gyokeres if their €80m (£68.6m) asking price is met.
Speaking on Sunday, Varandas maintained that Gyokeres is ready to depart Sporting this summer but insists the 27-year-old won’t be sold below market value.
‘For those who ask me today, there may be a robust possibility that Viktor will leave,’ Varandas said.
‘In the previous couple of weeks, now we have been maintaining a tally of the market, I saw a player like [Martin] Zubimendi, who’s six months younger than Viktor, go to Arsenal for €65 million (£55m).
‘I saw two players being sold within the Premier League – Matheus Cunha and [Bryan] Mbeumo – forwards who shouldn’t have the standard of Viktor, for my part. [They] were sold for around €75 million (£64m). We’re talking about players who’re 26 years old.
‘So, given the demands we make in relation to Viktor’s value, I consider he could leave, unless he has the worst agent on this planet. Which I find hard to consider, because he’s among the best footballers on this planet.’
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