Frederico Varandas says Sporting have been watching the market and expect a fee in the region of €80m
Sporting president Frederico Varandas has insisted that the club will not allow star striker Viktor Gyokeres to leave this summer unless their valuation is fully met.
Gyokeres is drawing interest from several clubs across Europe, including Manchester United and Arsenal, following a superb performance in Portugal that has seen him net 43 and 54 goals respectively across all competitions in the last two seasons.
In an interview with O Jogo, Varandas made it clear that the Lisbon club, while they are happy to see their leading scorer complete a dream move to one of the Premier League’s top sides this summer, are under no financial pressure to sell and will only sanction a move if the price is right.
“Sporting is very calm regarding Viktor Gyokeres,” said Varandas. “Sporting does not need to sell him, but we remain sensitive to the dreams of Viktor and any of our athletes.”
Gyokeres is eager to play in England next season and has been granted a delayed return to pre-season training. The club president stressed that they are being “reasonable” in negotiations, but any offers well below their asking price will not be entertained.
“We are not asking for the release clause and will be reasonable regarding the price,” he said. “But I can guarantee, with absolute certainty, that Viktor will not leave for €60million plus €10million in add-ons. It simply will not happen.”
Sporting are believed to be holding out for a fee in the region of €80 million, a figure they argue is reflective of both Gyokeres’ ability and the current inflation of the striker market.
Varandas compared the situation to United and Arsenal’s recent transfers, citing Martin Zubimendi’s €65m move and the valuations of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, all of whom he considers of a similar or even lesser profile to Gyokeres.
“Given the demands we consider fair, I believe Viktor could leave – unless he has the worst agent in the world, which is hard for me to believe, because he is one of the best footballers in the world,” he added.
United and Arsenal are both in the market for a proven No 9. Liverpool are also weighing up a move as they are still short of an out-an-out striker, with Darwin Nunez mostly a fringe player and expected to leave the club.
