Why Sporting CP offered Man Utd a chance to sign Viktor Gyokeres despite Arsenal agreement

The Viktor Gyokeres saga is finally coming to a close as Arsenal have succeeded in agreeing a deal with Sporting CP to sign their striker target. The Swede has been desperate to sign for the Gunners and has rejected all other offers and approaches from other clubs.

Arsenal have verbally agreed a deal worth €63.5million (£55million) plus €10million (£8.7million) in add-ons, with further talks over the structure and achievability of the add-ons taking place over the last week. Despite this, Sporting CP had been fielding potential approaches from other clubs for Gyokeres.

It was understood that Manchester United and clubs in Saudi Arabia were considered potential suitors. However, the Portuguese club's problem was that the striker’s stance was clear: he only wanted Arsenal.

So why did Sporting look for other interested parties? Well, it is actually a very normal approach to take.

The threat of other clubs considering approaches for a player would benefit Sporting CP in their negotiations with Arsenal. football.london understand the Gunners remained very calm while these talks were ongoing, despite frustrations over it being drawn out.

They did not need to panic or suddenly abandon their position because they had the benefit that the player wanted to join them. They may have had to push a little further to find a compromise but this lengthening situation was worse for Sporting than it was for Arsenal.

The Gunners could have started the season without him, Kai Havertz is fit and ready and raring to go for the new campaign. Whereas Gyokeres is thought to have refused to ever play for Sporting CP again, leaving them very short in attack.

Sporting identified a replacement and remain in talks over a big-money move for Almeria’s Luis Suarez. The move would be paid for, and some, by the sale of Gyokeres.

Sporting only just won the Portuguese title last season, pipping Benfica to the prize by just two points, helped massively by Gyokeres. The margins are fine in the title race in Portugal and not having a quality forward ready from the off would be damaging.

Arsenal have now won out in this battle of attrition and the player is finally making his move. The wait is almost over, but Arsenal’s position, despite these attempts to draw in wider interest, remained strong and calm throughout.

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