Gyokeres' agent blasts Sporting CP for lack of respect

Yahoo

2 days ago

Viktor Gyokeres' agent has admitted he'll never understand Sporting CP's stance on the player's summer transfer to Arsenal, insisting the gentlemen's agreement to leave was genuine.
Photo via Arsenal.com
Jonathan Chalkias was one of Viktor Gyokeres' representatives working on the player's summer transfer from Sporting CP to Arsenal, a more difficult process than anyone initially expected.
Throughout the 2024/25 campaign, multiple news outlets had talked about Gyokeres' gentlemen's agreement with Sporting CP. If he stayed and played for them for one more season, he'd be allowed to leave for €60m plus €10m in add-ons.
Sporting made no attempt to play down the reports until after the season was over, at which point they publicly denied the existence of such an agreement.
Photo via Arsenal.com
Part of the problem was seemingly that Gyokeres' camp made the agreement with Hugo Viana, who subsequently departed to join Manchester City. But when asked about the existence of the agreement this week, Chalkias was clear that it was genuine.
'Yes, there has been (an agreement),' Chalkias told WTV. 'If Hugo Viana had remained at Sporting, this deal would have been done in an hour.
'[The agreement] was written down, but you would have had to start a legal process that there was no time for.
'After all he has done for Sporting…that you didn't have more respect for his will and his dreams after these two seasons and three trophies and all the goals. I will never understand that.'
Photo via Arsenal.com
Sporting pushed for more money, hoping to bring in at least €70m plus €10m in add-ons, and wanting most of those add-ons to be effectively guaranteed payments.
Arsenal eventually got a deal for €63.5m plus €10m, but only because Gyokeres' key representative Hasan Cetinkaya agreed to give up his cut.
With Cetinkaya giving up his portion of the payment, the full €63.5m could go to Sporting, the same amount they would have received if Arsenal had paid €70m and Cetinkaya had taken 10%.
So Arsenal got a cheaper deal, Sporting got the money they wanted, and Cetinkaya's client got the move. The agent just didn't get his full commission for it.
Photo via Arsenal.com
Sporting had tried various other tricks during negotiations, including attempting to create a bidding war with other clubs. But Chalkias confirms that Gyokeres never had any interest in joining anyone else.
'He's been locked in from day one, it was only Arsenal for him,' Chalkias added. 'But he also consulted with us, what do you think? And Hasan [Cetinkaya] was clear from day one, and so was I.
'This situation that Arsenal has now, the whole world knows they need a striker. And just look at the football they play… against Real Madrid in the Champions League. And then to get the chance to come here and be that nine.
'How could anyone say no to that?'