Transfer news: Sporting president says Gyokeres will not leave club for €70m
Varandas said the club's only promise to Gyokeres was that they would not demand his full release clause. File picture: Patricia De Melo Moreira/Getty
Sporting Lisbon have not received an offer for striker Viktor Gyokeres and there is no 'gentleman's agreement' for him to leave for €70m, says club president Frederico Varandas.
Sweden international 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 release clause in his contract and it's been reported that, after staying at Sporting last summer, Gyokeres and Sporting agreed he could leave for €70m this summer.
However, Varandas said the club's only promise to Gyokeres was that they would not demand his full release clause.
"I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for €60m plus €10m because I never promised that," Varandas said. "To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres — neither today nor last season."
Gyokeres spent three seasons with Coventry City in the Championship before joining Sporting under Ruben Amorim.
Manchester City director of football Hugo Viana was sporting director at Sporting last summer, when Gyokeres' agent sought assurances about his leaving if a suitable offer arrived.
"One of the agent's biggest concerns was whether we would demand the termination clause," said Varandas.
"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.
"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, €60m or €80m. What I can guarantee is that I will not demand €100m.'"
Meanwhile, Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has spoken about his future plans as Arsenal close in on signing Martin Zubimendi as his replacement from Real Sociedad.
Arsenal confirmed last week that they remained in talks with Partey and were hopeful of agreeing a short-term deal that would see him extend his stay at the Emirates Stadium.
Partey’s final decision could well be influenced by Arteta’s plan for him next season and with Zubimendi set to join, it is uncertain whether or not Arsenal’s most experienced midfielder would settle for a reduced role.
The player, himself, however, insists what is best for him and his young family will play a decisive role in his eventual decision.
"The first thing is where are you happy and where do you feel at home. At the end of the day you’ve been in football, you’ve been in different teams. Then it’s about what is your next objective what do you want to achieve next. You still have to look at all this and at the end of the day we all have a family that needs money, this is our mind.
‘We are not getting younger. There are a lot of things where you have to look now with a family, where you want them to be happy. When you go out nobody is going to destroy your family, these are things you have to look at. When you are young you just anywhere.
‘I’m an Arsenal fan, I can’t decide anything and just have to leave it to my agent and the club. Me, I just want to enjoy football. ‘Every moment, every year or every time in training there I feel I’ve been in my best because I can’t count how many games I was not giving all my best.
"Sometimes it may go bad but every game I go all out and try to give my best. I feel happy in me, every year injury or no injury which is part of it I have given my best."
Manchester City have completed the £46.3million signing of Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan.
The Premier League club have confirmed the 26-year-old has put pen to paper on a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium.
His arrival makes it four signings in a week for City, who announced deals for £30.5m midfielder Rayan Cherki from Lyon and Chelsea's third-choice goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli on Tuesday, while left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri joined from Wolves in a £31.3m move on Monday.
Reijnders scored 15 goals in the 2024-25 campaign and will bolster Pep Guardiola's midfield options, with Kevin De Bruyne set to join Napoli soon.
Liverpool's are expected to sign Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz when the transfer window reopens. The fee for the player is expected to be around £126m, inclusive of add-ons.
If the deal goes through, it would beat the club's £85m record signing of Darwin Nunez in 2022.
In other transfer news, Galatasaray have agreed a deal to sign Leroy Sané from Bayern Munich on a three year contract.
Sané's contract with the Bayern expires in a month. According to Fabrizio Romano, the German will fly to Istanbul tonight to have his medical and sign the contract.
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