“He agreed to join us but changed his mind when Arsenal came…I’m not happy to miss out on such incredible player”: Europe’s most wanted and talented young player has chosen the Gunners over Manchester United and Ruben Amorim is not happy
The representative of Viktor Gyokeres has revealed that Manchester United tried to sign the striker from Sporting CP before his summer move to Arsenal.
The Gunners signed the Sweden international from Sporting CP after a lengthy transfer saga. They had to wait until late July to secure a transfer agreement.
Speaking on the Studio Allsvenskan podcast, one of Gyokeres’ agents, Jonathan Chalkias, said that the striker turned down a big-money offer from Saudi Arabia.
He added that Sporting CP had ‘finalised a deal’ with Manchester United ‘behind our backs’. The Red Devils had offered a higher transfer fee for the marksman.
Chalkias said: “I don’t think we pressured him once to accept the offer.
“At the end of the day, money comes and goes and this move to Arsenal brings us a lot of marketing.
“They (Sporting) had finalised a deal with Manchester United behind our backs, that was a problem. United offered a higher transfer fee.”
Chalkias added that the player’s response was a firm ‘no’. He was determined to join the Gunners and eventually made the switch for a package worth £64 million.
Gyokeres’ agency gave up on their 10 percent commission to lower the final transfer fee, but Chalkias said that the move to Arsenal has brought them more marketing.
Gyokeres must prove his worth after dream move to Arsenal
The Swede has made a decent start to his Arsenal career, scoring three goals in all competitions.
He bagged a brace in the 5-0 rout of Leeds United in the Premier League before scoring another in the 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest after the September international break.
Gyokeres has failed to score in his last five starts for the Gunners. He has got into some good scoring positions and has also impressed with his physical strength in the final third.
His presence has brought more attention from opposition defenders, freeing up spaces in the attack. Gyokeres has also been somewhat unlucky. His effort against Olympiacos hit the woodwork before Gabriel Martinelli had an easy tap-in.
He should have had a penalty against Newcastle United at St James’ Park. Arsenal have a big phase coming up after the international break. They are one point ahead of Liverpool at the top of the league and have the chance to extend the gap.
Gyokeres’ form upfront could be crucial. Sweden face Switzerland and Kosovo in key World Cup qualifiers during the international break. Hopefully, the striker can get back to scoring ways for his country ahead of the season restart with the Gunners.
