Sporting boss threatened to strike
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This article was first published on July 13, 2025 at 11:35 a.m. and was later updated.
The most dangerous player of the 2024/25 season has been on the active strike since this weekend to force a change. Top striker Viktor Gyökeres should have registered at the Sporting Clube in Lisbon after his vacation on Friday, which was already extended for transfer talks, and on Saturday with his teammates should have started a trip to test games on the Algarve. The 27-year-old Swede, who is supposed to agree with Arsenal FC, stayed away. The President of the Portuguese master, Frederico Varandas, found clear words on Saturday evening.
Update 7:30 p.m.: According to different reports, the change of Gyökeres’ moved closer to England. On Sunday evening was initially at the Portuguese “Record“To read that Arsenal is ready to meet the claims of 70 million euros plus EUR 10 million bonuses. For example, at“ The Athletic ”there is talk of EUR 63.5 million plus 10 million bonuses. Arsenal will shortly send a corresponding offer to Lisbon in writing. According to several reports, the deal also made it possible to avoid the player’s consultant to part of his commission.
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“We are calm. Everything will end with the closing of the transfer window (in the top leagues on September 1; editor’s note), a high fine and an apology to the group. If you do not want to pay Gyökeres’ market value, we will be satisfied with it in the next three years (the remaining term of his contract),” the 45-year-old is quoted by the news agency “Lusa”. He sent a threat, possibly to Gyökeres’ consultant. “If the brilliant heads behind this strategy think that they put me under pressure to make the transfer easier, then they are not only completely wrong, they are even more difficult for the player’s departure. Nobody is above the interests of the association.”
Gyökeres is said to have announced Varandas a long time ago that he never wants to play for sports again. With the President, from the perspective of the strikers elected twice in a row from the transfer market community to the player of the season in Portugal, there was an agreement that he could go to bonuses for 60 million euros.
Sporting from Arsenal for Gyökeres demands so much
The “Record” recently reported on an offer of over 65 million euros and EUR 15 million of bonuses. According to the newspaper, Varanda’s 70 million euros are guaranteed and 10 million bonuses. In total, Gyökeres could rise to Nicolas Pépé as the second tax access of Gunners history, Sporting’s most expensive sale has been Bruno Fernandes for six years. The playmaker went to Manchester United for 65 million euros.
At a glance: Arsenals most expensive accesses / sports, the most expensive departures
Gyökeres had again outbid his strong first season in Lisbon 2023/24 with 43 goals and 15 assists in 50 competitive games. In the past season, in which the 27-year-old scored three of his six Champions League hits against Manchester City, he even came up with a total of 67 goal participations; 54 goals and 13 templates in 52 games. Sporting transferred 13 million euros to Coventry City for the former Brighton cup, which had been loaned by FC St. Pauli in 2019/20. Since then, the Stockholmer market value has increased to 75 million euros today.