Sporting Lisbon has told Manchester United and other clubs interested in their star forward Viktor Gyokeres that if they are not willing to step up the price the player will not leave. The club said they will not and there is no ‘gentleman’s agreement’ for their striker to leave for £59m.
The information was made known by the club’s president Frederico Varandas. Gyokeres, 27, has been heavily linked with Manchester United and Arsenal after scoring 97 goals in 102 matches during two seasons in Portugal. He has a 100m euro (£85m) release clause in his contract.
It has been widely reported that, after staying at Sporting last summer, Gyokeres and Sporting agreed he could leave for 70m euros (£59m) this summer. But club president Varandas said the club’s only promise to Gyokeres was that they would not demand his full release clause.
According to him, he said: “I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for 60m euros plus 10m euros because I never promised that.” “To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres – neither today nor last season.”
He also said: “One of the agent’s biggest concerns was whether we would demand the termination clause.” “He wanted to guarantee certain things. And what was agreed? That Sporting would not demand a release clause now.” “For one reason: he was going to be 27 years old and no player leaves Portugal at 27 for 100m euros or 90m euros.”
“In that same meeting the agent wanted to anchor the exit to a value. I said this sentence: ‘It’s not worth us setting a value because I don’t know what will happen in a year’s time. I don’t know if it will be 40m euros, 60m euros or 80m euros. What I can guarantee is that I will not demand 100m euros.'”
