Viktor Gyokeres' agent has accused Sporting CP of disrespecting the striker amid the transfer saga that finally resulted in the Swede joining Arsenal.
Viktor Gyokeres' agent slams Sporting CPAccuses Sporting of disrespecting the strikerClaims the Swede always preferred ArsenalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
As the transfer fiasco ended with Gyokeres signing for Arsenal, one of his agents, Jonathan Chalkias, has gone public to give striking details of the events that unfolded in Lisbon. The agent was baffled by the way the Swedish striker was treated by his former club and clarified that despite interest from multiple teams, the forward chose a move to London. The ex-Sporting player earlier described how mentally challenging the phase was in his life, admitting it wasn't easy.
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It seemed like a never-ending fiasco as there were legit concerns of a deal being finalised after the war of words between the striker and Sporting president, Frederico Varandas. Gyokeres also missed training sessions but his agent insists it was a planned scenario orchestrated by the Sporting camp. In the end, both parties got their demands satisfied but it wasn't easy for the Swede. Chalkias in his accusations levelled against the Lisbon club calls them out for the ill-treatment towards his player and talks about what kept his player committed to only sign for Arsenal.
WHAT CHALKIAS SAID
In his interview with , the agent reflecting back on the transfer fiasco said: "If Hugo Viana were still at Sporting, the deal would have been done in an hour. Everything was written, but we didn't have time to start a legal battle. I don't understand how a player who scored so many goals and won three trophies didn't deserve more respect.
"This industry is about trusting people. The sacrifices we made were probably the turning point in getting the deal done. They offered him to Real Madrid , he made headlines with Real Madrid and even United, but from day one there was a commitment to Arsenal . Viktor always trusted Hasan Cetinkaya's project: they agreed to go to a league with less exposure, like Portugal, to win titles and get back to the Premier League."
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR GYOKERES?
The ex-Brighton forward signed for the Gunners in a deal worth €63.5m (£55m/$74m) plus a potential €10m (£9m/$12m) in performance-related bonuses. The striker has been unveiled to the Arsenal fans and might make his debut in the friendly match against London-rivals Tottenham on July 31 in Hong Kong.