Viktor Gyokeres to Arsenal: Sporting Lisbon issue statement on striker transfer

Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres is heavily linked with a move to Arsenal but the Portuguese club’s vice-president insists they’ve had no offers and don’t want to sell their top players

Sporting vice-president Francisco Salgado Zenha says the club are yet to receive any offers for Viktor Gyokeres as Arsenal circle – but maintains they will not be forced into selling their best players.

Gyokeres has just enjoyed a stunning year in Portugal, smashing the 50-goal barrier as he helped Sporting win two trophies, which has made him one of Europe’s most wanted frontmen. It is understood that a fee of around £66million will be enough to lure him to the Emirates.

Sporting’s hierarchy though are yet to receive an offer and are loathed to see more of their top players leave the capital. In recent years they’ve lost the likes of Nuno Mendes and Manuel Ugarte whilst Geovany Quenda will depart this summer – he’s signed for Chelsea.

Gyokeres would undoubtedly be their biggest loss but Zenha insists their Swedish star has years to run on his deal and their champion status will make it easier to warn off potential buyers.

Zenha told reporters in Portugal: “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.

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“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.”

Arsenal have made signing a striker their priority this summer with Gyokeres at the top of their wishlist. The Gunners have shown how willing they are to spend big in order to land top talent and are likely to do so again in the coming months.

The Swede, formerly of Coventry City, has had to address the ongoing speculation around his future and said at the weekend: “Let us see. It’s hard for me to say, because yeah it is football and you never know what’s going to happen in the summer. So for me to say anything else than that is impossible.”

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