Transfer tensions rise over Gyökeres: Sporting president sends indirect warning to Arsenal and Manchester United

Varandas signals exit but warns against discounts

Sporting CP President Frederico Varandas has sent clear signals that star striker Viktor Gyökeres could leave the club during the summer transfer window, while also making it clear that the club will take a firm stance throughout the process. Varandas stated that the club would be understanding should the player wish to leave, but made it clear that there will be no compromise on valuation during negotiations.

The 27-year-old Swedish striker’s contract still includes a €100 million release clause. In response to recent media reports suggesting a potential agreement around €70 million, Varandas again denied any such claim, as he has previously done. “Sporting has no obligation to sell this player, but we won’t turn a deaf ear to his dreams either. That doesn’t mean we’ll offer a discount,” he said.

Premier League valuations used as leverage

Rather than stating an exact fee directly, Varandas referenced recent Premier League deals as reference points, explaining the club’s valuation criteria: “Martin Zubimendi is six months younger than Viktor and transferred for €65 million. We’ve seen players like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo go for around €75 million. Are they as good as Viktor? I don’t think so. So it would be unreasonable to expect Viktor’s value to be below theirs.”

Prolific season places Gyökeres in elite bracket

Gyökeres produced an extraordinary season with Sporting Lisbon in 2024–25, scoring 54 goals and providing 13 assists in 52 appearances across all competitions. These statistics have made him not just the most prolific striker in Portugal but one of the standout names in all of European football. His blend of prolific scoring and tactical involvement has earned him a place at the top of many transfer lists across Europe.

Public denial of low-fee reports

Varandas’s firm stance is nothing new. In recent weeks, he has issued similar denials and refuted some of the reports circulating in the media. Taken together, these developments illustrate the increasingly complex nature of Gyökeres’s future:

According to reports from Reuters and A Bola, Sporting CP President Frederico Varandas has strongly denied recent claims suggesting that Viktor Gyökeres will leave the club for €60 million plus €10 million in bonuses. At the same time, Gyökeres, the player at the centre of these rumours, posted the following striking statement on his social media account:

“There is a lot being said right now, most of it is false. When the time is right, I will speak.”

This comment has resonated in both the Portuguese and English media, as two major clubs—Arsenal and Manchester United—are closely monitoring Gyökeres’s transfer situation.

Secret deal claims firmly rejected

According to Portuguese sports daily A Bola, there was reportedly a secret “verbal agreement” made at the beginning of the season between Gyökeres’s agent and Sporting CP’s management. This alleged agreement would allow the player to leave the club for a fixed fee of €60 million plus €10 million in bonuses.

However, the same report states that Sporting President Frederico Varandas firmly rejected these claims:

“Gyökeres will not leave for that amount. I never authorised such a thing.”
“There hasn’t been a single official offer for him, not this season, nor the one before.”

Varandas also suggested that these rumours were being fed to the media by the player’s agent, adding, “We cannot be pressured in this way.” Reuters also independently reported these remarks.

Amorim factor reshapes United’s transfer plans

Another layer in the transfer dynamic is Rúben Amorim’s presence at Manchester United, where he is known to have worked closely with Gyökeres in the past and had a strong influence on the striker during their time at Sporting.

According to TalkSport, one of Amorim’s first targets at Manchester was his former player Gyökeres. The report states that the manager wants to reunite with the striker and build the team’s attacking system around him. The Sun also claims that Gyökeres is the “primary target” in United’s summer transfer plans.

Arsenal eyes alternatives amid valuation gap

Arsenal have recently turned their attention towards RB Leipzig’s Slovenian striker Benjamin Šeško. As reported by The Sun’s transfer updates, the club is in “active talks” with Šeško and has made his signing a short-term priority. Likewise, TalkSport reports that Arsenal are in contact for both Šeško and Gyökeres, but Sporting’s firm stance is pushing the North London side to warm up to the Slovenian alternative.

A defining summer in Lisbon

This summer has become a pivotal period for Sporting not just in sporting terms but also in shaping their transfer strategy. As Arsenal and Manchester United keep Gyökeres high on their transfer list, the Portuguese club remains determined to protect the striker’s value and hold its negotiating ground.