‘Strong Possibility’—Arsenal, Man Utd Sent Viktor Gyokeres Transfer Message by Club Chief | OneFootball

Sporting CP president Frederico Varandas once again publicly addressed the swirling “transfer drama” surrounding his star forward Viktor Gyökeres, revealing that he expects his talisman to leave this summer.

Varandas even cited reported transfers made by Arsenal and Manchester United as evidence for his firm stance on Gyökeres’s price tag. This represents the heaviest public hint yet that the two Premier League sides are actively competing against one another for the prolific Swede.

“Sporting is very calm about Gyökeres,” Varandas mused to A BOLA. “We do not have to sell him. In the same way that we do not need to sell him, we are still sensitive to Viktor’s dreams.”

Gyökeres’s three-year contract with Sporting reportedly includes a buyout clause worth €100 million (£85.3 million, $117.1 million). There had been much speculation that a reduced sum of €70 million (£59.7 million, $82 million) would be accepted only for Varandas to strongly reject those reports earlier this month. The 27-year-old was said to be “furious” with that firm response, although the club president warned that he would “be reasonable” with his demands.

But what constitutes a fair price? Varandas took the unorthodox approach of listing the recent deals reportedly struck by Arsenal and United to set a broad outline of the current market values without revealing an exact sum.

Matheus Cunha (right) joined Man Utd earlier this summer and could be joined by Bryan Mbeumo (centre). / IMAGO/PA Images

“If you ask me today, there is a strong possibility that Viktor will leave,” Sporting’s outspoken president admitted. “In the last few weeks, we have been keeping an eye on the market, I saw a player like [Martin] Zubimendi, who is six months younger than Viktor, go to Arsenal for €65 million [£55.5 million, $76.1 million]. I saw two players being sold in the Premier League—Matheus Cunha and [Bryan] Mbeumo—strikers who do not have the quality of Viktor, in my opinion, were sold for around €75 million [£64 million, $87.8 million].

“We are talking about players who are 26 years old. So, given the demands we make in relation to Viktor’s value, I believe he can leave, unless he has the worst agent in the world. Which I find hard to believe, because he is one of the best football players in the world.”

Zubimendi has not yet officially left Real Sociedad—and is a defensive midfielder, rather than a striker like Gyökeres—while Mbeumo’s move to United has stalled after Brentford rejected the club’s latest bid worth a total of £62.5 million ($85.8 million).

As negotiations over Gyökeres’s threaten to even get off the ground, let alone stall, there have been suggests that the centre-forward will go on strike to force through a move. That extreme scenario doesn’t bother Varandas. “I have been in football for 20 years and have already been through countless transfer dramas,” the president sighed. “Closing the transfer window is a cure for any ill. Disgruntled players are not a problem. Viktor staying will not be a problem for us, it will be a problem for our opponents.”