Latest news with #SportingLisbon
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Arsenal's £70m move for RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko 'hits stumbling block as Gunners grow frustrated' in attempts to strengthen in attack
Arsenal are reportedly growing frustrated with Benjamin Sesko over the RB Leipzig star's wage demands. The Gunners are keen to bring in Sesko, 22, this summer, with the £70million-rated Slovenian striker having been tracked by the club for a long time. Mikel Arteta 's side had offers rejected for Sesko last summer and in January and he is their No 1 target as they look to strengthen in attack having come second in the Premier League for the third consecutive season. Arsenal are also eyeing-up Sporting Lisbon's Victor Gyokeres, who is valued at around £60m, but for now the Swede is viewed as an alternative to Sesko if a move can't be completed. And, according to The Sun, Arsenal's hopes of bringing in Sesko have hit a stumbling block in regards to his wage demands. The report claims that Sesko is asking for a deal at a much higher level than the Gunners were planning to offer. This could hamper any potential transfer, and it is an issue that may force a rethink from Arsenal's perspective. Gyokeres is said to realise he is not Arsenal's first choice but he is still desperate for a move to the Premier League following a stunning season where he scored 53 goals and added 13 assists in just 52 games for Sporting. The Portuguese side are willing to sell him, and the Gunners and their sporting director Andrea Berta are keen to make sure they don't miss out on both of their targets. Meanwhile, amid the speculation over Sesko, who has been linked to several top European clubs and also rejected an offer from Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, the 22-year-old's agent Elvis Basanovic this week provided an update on the situation. 'Even if there may be - or will be - a strong desire of the player to move to a certain club, we will never force or blackmail RB Leipzig,' he told GiveMeSport. 'I believe this is not the right way, because the way you actually exit from the club shows your values. Values that you are bringing into a new club. 'I can understand in very big transfers, there are a lot of different interests but no matter what, I believe in football world should be more respect. So that's why we do things in the right way or we don't do them. 'It's very simple, even maybe in the media it looks very complicated.' Basanovic also highlighted what a special talent his client is and hinted that they are relaxed about his future. '[Sesko's] numbers at his age compared to some strikers with already great careers at his age are confirming my words,' he added. 'He will move from RB Leipzig only when we recognise a special club, a special project with a special coach.' Elsewhere, the report also claimed that Arsenal are set to face a double blow in the transfer market, with Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi favouring a transfer to Liverpool instead of moving to the Emirates. The England defender has just one year left on his deal at Selhurst Park and has been linked with several clubs including Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Newcastle. However, with the World Cup coming up next summer, Guehi, who has won 23 England caps, is believed to be desperate for regular football. And the report claims he is unsure that would be the case under Arteta, with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes his undisputed starting partnership.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Palace in talks with Sporting over Diomande
Crystal Palace are in talks with Sporting Lisbon over a move for centre-back Ousmane FA Cup holders are looking to strengthen their defence this summer given the uncertainty over the future of skipper Marc Guehi, who has just 12 months to run on his 21, is a serious target for Palace but it remains to be seen whether the clubs can reach an agreement for the central defender, who has also attracted interest from across Ivory Coast international is valued at around £40 million, a fee that would smash the club's current transfer record of £32 million for Christian Benteke in have made signing a new centre-back a summer priority given Guehi's contractual international Guehi could leave this summer as Palace look to avoid losing him for nothing next summer when his current contract expires.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Viktor Gyokeres rejects meeting as Arsenal target left furious at transfer saga
Arsenal transfer target Viktor Gyokeres is doing all he can to try and force through a move away from Sporting Lisbon having grown frustrated at the club's attempts to keep hold of him Viktor Gyokeres has turned down clear-the-air talks with Sporting Lisbon as his transfer saga turns bitter. The Swedish forward is of interest to Premier League sides Manchester United and Arsenal this summer. The Gunners appeared to be in the driving seat for his signature, with Gyokeres having expressed his preference to move to North London. But a move appears some way off, with Sporting determined not to sell him on the cheap. That has infuriated Gyokeres - who believes that the Portuguese giants have gone against their word to let him leave. He has apparently threatened to go on strike to force through an exit. Sporting have now attempted to smooth things over by holding talks with their star forward but that offer has been rejected out of hand. According to A Bola, the Portuguese side approached Gyokeres in an effort to hold clear the air talks but that offer has been turned down by his entourage. In the meantime, the former Coventry City star remains on holiday in Saint Tropez and is not expected to report for duty anytime soon. He did, however, break his silence on the ongoing saga last week. Taking to his Instagram story, he wrote: "There is a lot of talks at the moment, most of it is false. I will speak when the time is right." Meanwhile, Sporting president Federico Varandas has spoken out on the ongoing saga and claimed that his side would not be bullied into selling Gyokeres. He said: "One thing you should already know is me better. Threats, blackmail and insults don't work with me. "I can guarantee that Viktor Gyökeres will not leave for €60m+10m (£51m+£8.5m) because I never promised him that. This game that the agent is playing only makes the situation worse. To this day, Sporting has not had an offer for Viktor Gyökeres, neither today nor last season." Where should Viktor Gyokeres go? Share your thoughts in the comments below "I think it's fair to explain the whole process. The process started last year when the season ended, Sporting were champions and had a fantastic season," Varandas added. "During the transfer window we realised that Viktor was going to stay at Sporting because we didn't receive a single offer for him. When the season started, the agent approached Hugo Viana several times, asking if we could add an extra fee to the contract if he scored 'x' goals; I gave Viana the opportunity to negotiate, within reason." Gyokeres has already been turned down by Real Madrid, while Italian giants Juventus have offered him a mega £11m-per-year deal to move to Turin. Arsenal have already put their talks for Gyokeres on ice for now after seeing their first bid rejected. They instead are focusing on a deal for RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko, with reports in Germany claiming that the Gunners have found an agreement over personal terms. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
The Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Man Utd Premier League fixtures: Ruben Amorim handed nightmare start as Arsenal kick off horror run of top six clashes
MANCHESTER UNITED have discovered who they will face at the start of the 2025/26 Premier League season. Ruben Amorim will lead the Red Devils into the clash after a first full transfer window and pre-season under his belt. 2 The Old Trafford outfit crashed to a worst-ever Premier League finish of 15th last season and will be hoping the lack of European football elsewhere can see them climb up the table this time around. And Man Utd now know they will face Arsenal as they kick-start the Amorim era after the former Sporting Lisbon boss promised: "The good days are coming." It will be a real litmus test for Amorim's squad against the expected title challengers in the Sunday, August 17 4:30pm clash to see how pre-season and new signings have prepared them for the upcoming season. Their second game sees them take a trip down to London to take on Fulham before facing newly-promoted Burnley. However, a horror double bill of Manchester City away, Chelsea at home and Brentford away make up September. October sees Man Utd take on bitter rivals Liverpool at Anfield with the reverse fixture pencilled in for May 2, 2026. The festive period starts out quite kindly on paper, with West Ham, Wolves and Bournemouth all coming before they take on Aston Villa and Newcastle before and after Christmas. Leeds, with the reverse fixture then taking place in April. The second Manchester derby commences on January 17 and is immediately followed by Arsenal away a week later. After the second clash with the Gunners, Man Utd have three more games against sides from London, with Fulham, Tottenham and West Ham all on the agenda going into February. Spring is greeted with a trip to Newcastle on March 4 followed by Aston Villa at home, while April sees them face Leeds and Brentford at Old Trafford with Chelsea away in the middle. The final three games of the season will see Man Utd face Sunderland away, Nottingham Forest at home and end the season with a trip down the seaside with Brighton away. The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Viktor Gyokeres is 'furious with Sporting Lisbon for blocking his move to Arsenal' as transfer saga turns ugly
Viktor Gyokeres is reportedly fuming with Sporting Lisbon for holding up his departure from the club this summer. The Swedish striker is one of the most in-demand strikers in Europe after flourishing in Portugal over the past two seasons, and had expected to get a transfer to the Premier League. Gyokeres prefers a move to Arsenal over Manchester United, but his price-tag has become a major stumbling block for any deal. It is understood that Gyokeres believes he reached a gentleman's agreement with Sporting last summer that would see the club accept a fee in the region of €70m (£60m) including add-ons at the end of the season. However, Sporting are now trying to hold out for a significantly higher fee - with Gyokeres having a €100m (£84m) release clause in his contract, and club president Frederico Varandas has accused Gyokeres' team of trying to 'blackmail' the Portuguese giants. Gyokeres has reportedly threatened to go on strike after vowing to 'speak at the right time', and, according to Portuguese outlet A Bola, he is 'very upset' with Sporting's current stance and has made his feelings clear to the club's hierarchy. Their report claims five clubs are interested in signing Gyokeres, with Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Saudi Arabian team Al-Ahli joining Arsenal and United in monitoring the 27-year-old's situation. Gyokeres would also welcome interest from Manchester City and Liverpool, while he is open to a move to Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG or Bayern Munich. But Sporting are adamant that they won't let their star striker leave for a fee that falls below their asking price. Varandas claimed last week that Sporting will not demand £84m for Gyokeres, but also stated that allowing the forward to depart for £60m is also off the table as a war of words broke out. 'Sporting will not demand the release clause, but they should know me better by now,' Varandas said. 'Threats, blackmail and insults don't work with me. 'I can guarantee one thing: Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for €60m + €10m. He won't leave because I never allowed it, and the game his agent is playing will only make the situation worse.' Varandas has denied a gentleman's agreement was ever in place as the transfer saga continues to turn ugly. Gyokeres may now be concerned that he could miss out on a move to Arsenal, with the Gunners also closely tracking several other options to bolster their frontline. The north London club have shown interest in RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, while Alexander Isak, Julian Alvarez and Ollie Watkins are also believed to be on their radar as potential alternatives. But Gyokeres could be the standout candidate to fill the No 9 role after scoring 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting. His goals secured a domestic double for the club last term, and Arsenal may view him as the missing piece of the jigsaw as they look to end their trophy drought under Mikel Arteta next season.
