Man Utd and Arsenal dealt Viktor Gyokeres blow as Sporting strike huge agreement
Sporting Lisbon are confident of completing a €55m (£47.2m) deal with Crystal Palace for their defender Ousmane Diomande in the coming days – ensuring the Portuguese side are under even less pressure to sell coveted striker Viktor Gyokeres for a cut price.
Arsenal and Manchester United have appeared at the front of the queue for Sweden star Gyokeres but Sporting have made it clear that they will not accept anything less than their £85m asking price for their top scorer.
The Gunners, who are also keen on RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, reportedly had a bid of about £60m rejected by Sporting last month with their president Federico Varandas furiously calling out Gyokeres' agent for trying to force a move for his client.
"Threats, blackmail and insults don't work with me," Varandas said. Gyokeres joined Sporting two years ago and has a contract that runs until the summer of 2028.
Reports in Portugal, however, state that Sporting have accepted an offer well below Diomande's €80m clause with Palace - who are set to factor in a hefty sell-on clause.
The Ivorian is also earning around €500,000 (£429,000) a year at Sporting and will receive a hefty salary increase in south London.
On the flip side Diomande's arrival at Selhurst Park could pave the way for Palace captain and England star Marc Guehi to leave. Liverpool are confident of sealing a move for Guehi, who has entered the final 12 months of his contract and is not expected to sign an extension.
That leaves FA Cup winners Palace with the choice of selling him this summer to recoup a fee or let him leave on a free next summer. Palace had refused to sell Guehi, who turns 25 this month, to Newcastle United last month.
Liverpool have already paid out £150m to Bayer Leverkusen for Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth for £40m - with a number of exits funding most of their initial outlay and face no immediate concerns around profit and sustainability regulations.
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