Viktor Gyokeres REJECTS meeting as Arsenal transfer saga turns ugly

Arsenal transfer target Viktor Gyokeres is doing all he can to try and force through a move away from Sporting Lisbon having grown frustrated at the club’s attempts to keep hold of him

Viktor Gyokeres has turned down clear-the-air talks with Sporting Lisbon as his transfer saga turns bitter. The Swedish forward is of interest to Premier League sides Manchester United and Arsenal this summer.

The Gunners appeared to be in the driving seat for his signature, with Gyokeres having expressed his preference to move to North London. But a move appears some way off, with Sporting determined not to sell him on the cheap.

That has infuriated Gyokeres - who believes that the Portuguese giants have gone against their word to let him leave. He has apparently threatened to go on strike to force through an exit.

Sporting have now attempted to smooth things over by holding talks with their star forward but that offer has been rejected out of hand. According to Record, the Portuguese side approached Gyokeres in an effort to hold clear the air talks but that offer has been turned down by his entourage.

In the meantime, the former Coventry City star remains on holiday in Saint Tropez and is not expected to report for duty anytime soon. He did, however, break his silence on the ongoing saga last week.

Taking to his Instagram story, he wrote: "There is a lot of talks at the moment, most of it is false. I will speak when the time is right."

Meanwhile, Sporting president Federico Varandas has spoken out on the ongoing saga and claimed that his side would not be bullied into selling Gyokeres. He said: "One thing you should already know is me better. Threats, blackmail and insults don't work with me.

"I can guarantee that Viktor Gyökeres will not leave for €60m+10m (£51m+£8.5m) because I never promised him that. This game that the agent is playing only makes the situation worse. To this day, Sporting has not had an offer for Viktor Gyökeres, neither today nor last season."

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"I think it's fair to explain the whole process. The process started last year when the season ended, Sporting were champions and had a fantastic season," Varandas added.

"During the transfer window we realised that Viktor was going to stay at Sporting because we didn't receive a single offer for him. When the season started, the agent approached Hugo Viana several times, asking if we could add an extra fee to the contract if he scored 'x' goals; I gave Viana the opportunity to negotiate, within reason."

Gyokeres has already been turned down by Real Madrid, while Italian giants Juventus have offered him a mega £11m-per-year deal to move to Turin.

Arsenal have already put their talks for Gyokeres on ice for now after seeing their first bid rejected. They instead are focusing on a deal for RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko, with new claims that the Gunners have found an agreement over personal terms.