A representative of Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres has claimed Sporting CP actually struck a deal to sell the Sweden international to Manchester United earlier this summer.
The Gunners had to fight hard for a transfer worth £63.5 million ($84.6 million), navigating a messy saga which saw Gyökeres and his agents clash with Sporting over their stubborn negotiation stance.
There were reports of a late hijack attempt from United, where former Sporting boss Ruben Amorim had long been tipped to pursue a reunion, and one of Gyökeres’s agents has now revealed the two clubs did agree on a fee higher than Arsenal’s payment, but the striker refused to be forced into the move.
“There were crazy amounts offered from Saudi Arabia,” Jonathan Chalkias, an assistant to key agent Hasan Çetinkaya, told Studio Allsvenskan. “We’re supposed to act in his best interest. Of course [agents take a percentage]. It’s a lot of money. Maybe Viktor should respond to that some day.
“I don’t think we pressured him once to accept the offer. At the end of the day, money comes and goes and this move to Arsenal brings us a lot of marketing.
“[Sporting] had concluded a deal with Manchester United behind our backs, that was a problem. United offered a higher transfer fee.”
Chalkias went on to argue that Sporting had no legal right to complicate negotiations as much as they did, hitting out at president Frederico Varandas for what he perceived as disrespect.
“If [former sporting director Hugo] Viana were still at Sporting, the deal would have been done within an hour,” Chalkias continued.
“Everything was written but we didn’t have time to start a legal battle. I don’t understand how a player who scored so many goals and won three trophies didn’t deserve more respect.
“The industry is about trusting people. The sacrifices we made were probably the turning point in getting the deal done. They offered him to Real Madrid, made headlines with Madrid and even United, but from day one there was a commitment to Arsenal.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Behind Our Backs’—Viktor Gyokeres’s Agent Makes Shock Man Utd Transfer Claim.
