What is shaping up to be the summer’s big transfer saga has been put on the back burner after signals from the Portuguese media that Viktor Gyökeres’ move to Arsenal could fall through.
The Swedish international and goal machine is in conflict with his club Sporting who have done their part to push up the price. But now that they have “got theirs”, one would think the dream of Arsenal would become a reality. but no!.
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Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyökeres has been linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, and last Sunday The Athletic reported that the clubs had agreed on a deal where the total sum would land at around 80 million euros.
The deal still stands – but it has been quiet since last weekend, and on Saturday evening, Portuguese media, including A Bola and Mais Futebol, wrote that the transfer risks falling through due to disagreements over the bonus package.
Sporting wants the deal to land at 80 million euros (900 million kroner) in total, and for the bonuses to be realistically achievable. Arsenal have offered €63.5 million (€714 million) plus €10 million (€112 million) in bonuses – which was accepted as a basis after the player’s agent, Hasan Cetinkaya, relinquished seven million euros (€79 million) in his own share.
But it all comes down to how realistic the 10 million euros in bonuses are, according to A Bola. Sporting want them to be achievable in a fair way.
The newspaper mentions that one of the bonuses at the moment is that Arsenal will pay 2.5 million euros after Gyökeres has played 20 games for the club. Sporting are happy with that – but the remaining bonuses are far from satisfactory for the Portuguese club.
A Bola writes that Sporting are “unwavering” in their demands, and that the risk of the transfer – after “six days with no signs of life” – therefore collapsing, is “high”.
What should be noted is that the British media, or usually well-informed transfer journalists such as David Ornstein of The Athletic or Fabrizio Romano, have not written about this or that the transfer is at risk of falling through.
There is also strange, unconfirmed information in the Portuguese press – which no one else has picked up or reported on – that Gyökeres’ close family is devastated that the transfer could crack.
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