Sporting CP vice-president Francisco Salgado Zenha has opened up on Viktor Gyokeres' future amid strong interest from Arsenal.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Sporting revealed their stance on Gyokeres transferNot in a rush to sell their star strikerArsenal interested in signing the Swedish playerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
After a dream outing with Sporting CP in the 2024-25 campaign, where Gyokeres scored 54 goals across all competitions and won two domestic trophies, including the Liga Portugal title, the Swedish striker has attracted interest from several clubs, including Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester United.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
had earlier reported that some of the Gunners' directors were in Lisbon last weekend to watch the club's women's team compete in the Champions League final against Barcelona. After celebrating their second European title, the representatives held talks with Gyokeres' agent Hasan Cetinkaya and had reportedly presented an offer worth £59 million (€70m/$79.5m).
WHAT HAS BEEN SAID
Sporting CP vice-president, however, denied receiving any formal offer as he revealed the club's stance on their star striker's future. The club chief told reporters: "He has three more years on his contract. At the moment, there are no offers, he has three more years on his contract. I think the answer has been given. [Sporting’s transfer plans] won’t be any different from last year. We want to keep the best players and retain talent. We want to continue to be champions, have competitive teams and fight on all fronts.
"I have been in this role for seven years. In the years when Sporting were champions, we even made fewer sales than in other years … the fact that we are champions gives us a greater ability to retain players and talent. Coincidence or not, we have not had to sell any players in those times. Not that we have not received offers, but the market is not under our control, we are always dependent."
(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?
After yet another underwhelming campaign, manager Mikel Arteta is on a mission to build a roadmap for success next season, which he will work on with his support staff, with an end-of-season performance review scheduled. The Spaniard has also claimed that recruitment is set to be a key area that the club must get right this summer.
