Agent reveals – Man Utd almost signed Viktor Gyokeres before Arsenal this summer
Conversations about the most talked-about transfer deal from the summer, Viktor Gyokeres to Arsenal, refuse to die down as fresh revelations have been made that will come as a shock to several Manchester United supporters. It is now understood that the Red Devils were in a better position to land Gyokeres from Sporting CP.
An assistant to the agent of Viktor Gyokeres has now revealed that Manchester United had indeed tabled the better offer among the two clubs. The Portuguese giants, too, would have preferred the sale to the Old Trafford club as it would have fetched them a higher transfer fee.
However, United’s hard work paid no dividends as Gyokeres preferred a move to the English capital. The striker was able to push through his move to the Emirates Stadium and even turned down the opportunity to reunite with his former gaffer, Rubem Amorim.
Different paths, same destination
Amorim arrived halfway through the previous campaign, and Gyokeres had to wait a few months before his dream move to Arsenal. To the surprise of several football pundits, the attacker did not choose Amorim’s project at Old Trafford. Experts believed that Gyokeres would feel at home under the guidance of Amorim, but the player and his entourage were firmly fixated on a transfer to the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal splashed as much as £64 million to fend off interest from competitors and secure the services of the lethal attacker. After facing dejection in this transfer race, United diverted their attention to other directions and landed up with Benjamin Sesko, who cost the Red Devils £74 million.
Why did Gyokeres not pick Manchester United?
Jonathan Chalkias, an assistant to the agent of Viktor Gyokeres, Hasan Cetinkaya, has opened up about the transfer story from the summer. Jonathan revealed that Gyokeres also turned down big-money offers from Saudi Arabia. The assistant even revealed that Sporting CP & Manchester United had almost agreed on a deal before the swift intervention of Gyokeres’ camp that changed the trajectory of the transfer. The assistant has been quoted as saying by the Daily Mail:
“There were crazy amounts offered from Saudi Arabia. We’re supposed to act in our best interest. Do we have also have a percentage (of any fee)? Of course. It’s a lot of money. Maybe Viktor should respond to that some day.
“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 concluded a deal with Manchester United behind our backs, that was a problem. United offered a higher transfer fee.”
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The transfer saga could have surely ended differently, and the Arsenal faithful will be delighted with the eventual turn of events. Gyokeres now has the season at his mercy to pay back the trust shown in him with silverware-winning performances for the Gunners.
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