-
FEATURE
- 22 minutes ago
EXCLUSIVE: The truth behind Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres saga revealed
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 21 Jul 2025 19:18 BST
- 5 min read
Exclusive
Viktor Gyokeres is embroiled in a legal dispute with Sporting CP as he looks to force through a summer move to Arsenal, The Transfers Podcast understands.
LISTEN TO THE LATEST EPISODE HERE
The Sweden international is Arsenal’s primary transfer target, and Mikel Arteta’s side are locked in negotiations with Sporting in a bid to finally reach a complete agreement.
The Gunners have reached an agreement in principle to pay an initial fee of €63.5m for the 27-year-old, but the deal is being held up due to Sporting’s specific requests when it comes to add-on payments.
Current ETV
Viktor Gyökeres
F (C)
Sporting CP
Viktor Gyökeres
F (C)
Sporting CP
ETV Range
€69.3M - €84.8M
We understand that Sporting are asking for €2.5m if Gyokeres plays 20 games for Arsenal next season, €2.5m if he reaches 40 appearances, €2.5m if the Gunners achieve Champions League qualification and a further €2.5m if he plays 20 times during the 2026-27 season.
As exclusively revealed by The Transfers Podcast in June, Gyokeres has gone on strike in an attempt to force Sporting into a sale, but the Portuguese giants wrote to the 27-year-old last week to inform him that he was in breach of contract after he opted against reporting for pre-season training.
Gyokeres’ lawyers hit back by disagreeing with Sporting’s claim, but the player is now involved in a legal dispute with his current employers.
"Last week on Wednesday, Sporting wrote to Gyokeres to inform him he was in breach of contract, to which his lawyers replied, saying they didn't feel he was in breach of contract because Gyokeres had promises from the club that they would allow him to leave this summer if his agents brought a certain fee and the club had reneged on those promises," Duncan Castles has revealed on the latest episode of The Transfers Podcast.
"There's now a legal dispute between player and club in the background, and a general sense that I'm getting from Portugal is that Sporting want to make this as difficult for Gyokeres as possible. They're not happy with the behaviour of the agents and not happy with the way this has become public, and that's feeding into these final negotiations."
Viktor Gyokeres won’t join Man Utd
While Arsenal are yet to fully finalise a deal for Gyokeres, The Transfers Podcast can confirm that rumours linking the Sweden star with Manchester United are wide of the mark.
Reports in Portugal claim that Ruben Amorim’s side have lodged a last-minute offer in an attempt to hijack Gyokeres’ proposed move to Arsenal and bring him to Old Trafford ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
However, we understand these rumours are not true and we have been told that Gyokeres will continue to force a move to Arsenal.
"There was a story in Portugal over the weekend that Manchester United had come in and gone over the top of Arsenal's offer and that Sporting were very close to agreeing a transfer fee with Manchester United for Gyokeres.
"I'm told by sources at Manchester United that that's not true, and also by people close to Gyokeres that it's absolutely not true," Castles explained. "And even if it were true, Gyokeres would not go to Manchester United. He has chosen to go to Arsenal, and he will continue to force that move."
The Transfers Podcast
Join the Transfers Podcast chat on WhatsApp
The Transfers Podcast, powered by FootballTransfers, is available on your preferred podcast platform and YouTube. Subscribe here:
Football transfer news headlines today
Arsenal superstar issues verdict on Viktor Gyokeres transfer
EXCLUSIVE: Nicolas Jackson open to Man Utd move as Chelsea set new asking price
Arsenal offered chance to sign ANOTHER Chelsea star
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
