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Viktor Gyokeres linked with a โ‚ฌ59m moveโ€ฆ but SURPRISE twist leaves everyone stunned! ๐Ÿ˜ณ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Sporting Lisbon president Frederico Varandas has decisively shut down rumours linking star striker Viktor Gyokeres with a cut-price move away from the club. In a firm statement, he denied the existence of any โ€œgentlemanโ€™s agreementโ€ allowing the Swedish international to leave for ยฃ59m, adding that the club has not received a single offer for the forward.

 

Gyokeres, 27, has attracted major interest from Premier League giants such as Manchester United and Arsenal following two prolific seasons in Portugal, where he has scored a remarkable 97 goals in just 102 appearances. His impact on the Portuguese Primeira Liga has been monumental, helping transform Sporting into a dominant attacking force.

 

Speculation around the strikerโ€™s future intensified earlier this summer amid reports that Gyokeres had agreed to a summer exit valued at โ‚ฌ70m (ยฃ59m). However, Varandas has now categorically rejected those claims, insisting that no such agreement was ever made.

 

โ€œI can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for โ‚ฌ60m plus โ‚ฌ10m because I never promised that,โ€ Varandas stated unequivocally in an interview with Portuguese media. โ€œTo this day, Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeresโ€”neither today nor last season.โ€

 

This strong rebuttal aims to quash rumours suggesting that Sporting would accept anything less than the full โ‚ฌ100m (ยฃ85m) release clause built into Gyokeresโ€™ contract. The clause, standard practice in Portuguese football, offers the club full protection in the face of intense transfer interest.

 

The Swedish striker joined Sporting in the summer of 2023 from Coventry City, where he had developed a reputation as one of the Championshipโ€™s most feared forwards. His transition to top-flight European football has been seamless, further enhancing his market value.

 

Interestingly, the president also addressed a key meeting last year between Sporting and Gyokeresโ€™ representatives. At the time, Manchester Cityโ€™s Hugo Viana was still serving as Sportingโ€™s director of football, and the discussions centered around the clubโ€™s stance on the โ‚ฌ100m release clause.

 

โ€œOne of the agentโ€™s biggest concerns was whether we would demand the termination clause,โ€ Varandas explained. โ€œHe wanted to guarantee certain things. And what was agreed? That Sporting would not demand a release clause now.โ€

 

Varandas went on to clarify that the club simply acknowledged that the player was entering an age bracket that typically hinders nine-figure moves out of Portugal. โ€œHe was going to be 27 years old, and no player leaves Portugal at 27 for โ‚ฌ100m or โ‚ฌ90m,โ€ he said.

 

However, that openness never translated into a fixed transfer price. According to Varandas, the agent pushed for a concrete figure, but Sporting refused to be boxed into a predetermined valuation. โ€œIn that same meeting, the agent wanted to anchor the exit to a value. I said this sentence: โ€˜Itโ€™s not worth us setting a value because I donโ€™t know what will happen in a yearโ€™s time. I donโ€™t know if it will be โ‚ฌ40m, โ‚ฌ60m or โ‚ฌ80m. What I can guarantee is that I will not demand โ‚ฌ100m.โ€™โ€

 

That vague commitment has seemingly been misinterpreted as a promise. But Varandas insists Sporting remain in full control and will evaluate any offers solely on their merit and timingโ€”not based on informal discussions or reported media clauses.

 

Gyokeres, who also boasts 15 goals in 26 appearances for Sweden, is considered one of Europeโ€™s most in-form centre-forwards. His strength, intelligent movement, and clinical finishing have drawn comparisons to modern greats. As a result, Sporting are under no pressure to sell unless a club is willing to meet their expectations.

 

Manchester United, in particular, are desperate for a reliable goalscorer to partner or rotate with Rasmus Hรธjlund, while Arsenal are still in the market for a natural number nine to complement their attacking options. But both clubs may now have to look elsewhereโ€”or prepare to pay close to the full โ‚ฌ100m.

 

The statement from Varandas also seems like a strategic move to maintain negotiating leverage. With several top European clubs circling, setting the record straight ensures Sporting wonโ€™t be lowballed into accepting less than the playerโ€™s market worth.

 

The Portuguese club has developed a reputation in recent years for nurturing and selling elite talentโ€”examples include Bruno Fernandes, Joรฃo Palhinha, and Matheus Nunes. But they have also become more assertive in demanding full value for their assets.

 

As the summer transfer window unfolds, the focus will now shift to whether any club is bold enough to test Sportingโ€™s resolve with a formal bid. Until then, Gyokeres remains a central figure in Sportingโ€™s ambitions to dominate both domestically and in European competition.

 

Varandasโ€™ message is clear: if anyone wants Viktor Gyokeres, they must pay a premium. The era of unspoken exit deals appears to be over at Sporting. For now, Gyokeres is staying putโ€”and doing what he does best: scoring goals.

 

Whether Arsenal or Manchester United will return with an irresistible offer remains to be seen. But one thing is certainโ€”Sporting have drawn a clear line in the sand. And crossing it will come at a cost.