Central to Gyökeres’s frustrations is a belief that he had an agreement with Sporting president Frederico Varandas to sell him for a certain fee, believed to be around €70 million (£60.4 million, $82 million). Varandas has publicly insisted Gyökeres will not be sold for such a price.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has held face-to-face talks with Sporting in Portugal as the Premier League club move closer towards a deal for striker Viktor Gyokeres. BBC Sport revealed last Thursday the Gunners had accelerated their interest in the Sweden international as their well-documented search for a new centre-forward reaches a