Viktor Gyokeres gets lawyers involved as Arsenal talks with Sporting CP hit snag – report

Harry Watkinson 20 Jul 2025 12:50 PM

Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, with an Arsenal badge

Viktor Gyokeres has been clammed for the nature of agreeing his deal with Arsenal

Viktor Gyokeres finds himself in a legal spat with Sporting CP over his potential move to Arsenal, with the striker ‘responding through his lawyers’ as talks over a deal continue.

The 27-year-old is ready and waiting to join the Gunners, who were thought to have agreed on a package worth €63.5m (£54.9m, / $73.6m) up front, plus a further €10m (£8.6m, $11.5m) in add-ons with Sporting.

However, the latest reports from Portugal suggest that the deal may not be as close as first thought.

Gyokeres, meanwhile, has refused to join pre-season training with Sporting and insists that he won’t play for the club again. Now, he has been officially notified that he is under disciplinary proceedings, per a report from Record.

But the striker has hit back emphatically, responding via his legal team. The issues all stem from an alleged broken promise made to Gyokeres, that he would be allowed to leave for €60million (£52m / $70m), plus €10million in add-ons, with Sporting now demanding more from Arsenal.

“The Sweden international has retaliated, responding through his lawyers, with the certainty that he will not play for the green and white team again,” the report states.

“He believes that it is the club managed by Frederico Varandas, in this case its president, who has failed the Lions’ top scorer in the last two years, for failing to comply, he emphasised, with the promise of letting him leave for a sum substantially below the release clause (100 million euros).”

Fabrizio Romano provides clarity on Arsenal, Gyokeres saga

Arsenal remain focused on finalising a deal for Gyokeres, with Mikel Arteta determined to add a world-class striker to his squad.

The Swedish international joined Sporting from Coventry City in the summer of 2023 and has notched an astonishing 97 goals in 102 games for the Portuguese side.

And amid the ongoing speculation, reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed a telling update yesterday (July 19).

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano stated: “The conversation is still ongoing. The agents of the player are still in London to try and resolve the agreement between all parties involved, Sporting, Arsenal.

“[On the] player side, everything is okay, five-year contract, Gyokeres is fighting to go to Arsenal. But obviously, it’s really important to agree on the add-ons.

“They are really on it, every single hour, every single minute. Arsenal and Sporting are working on this deal.

“So as soon as it will be agreed, I will let you know, but they are still working on the add-ons.

“On Sunday, there were reports of a deal done… it was not done, it was simply not done. It was close, for sure, because they agreed on the first part of the fee, but not the add-ons.”

Romano added Arsenal are “not happy” with Sporting, who keep moving the goalposts and “fighting on every single detail.”

DON’T MISS: The 10 most expensive Arsenal transfers of all time after Noni Madueke signing