Arsenal
Agent says Sporting agreed higher-fee sale to Manchester United but Gyökeres rejected move
Agent claims Sporting agreed a higher fee with Manchester United, but Gyökeres refused the transfer.
A representative of Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres has claimed Sporting CP reached an agreement to sell the Sweden international to Manchester United earlier this summer, but the player refused to be forced into the transfer.
There had been reports of a late hijack attempt from United, with former Sporting boss Ruben Amorim linked to a possible reunion. According to the agent team, Sporting and United agreed a fee that exceeded Arsenal’s payment, yet the transfer did not proceed because of the player’s decision.
Jonathan Chalkias, an assistant to key agent Hasan Çetinkaya, spoke to Studio Allsvenskan and outlined the offers and the negotiations. “There were crazy amounts offered from Saudi Arabia,” he said. “We’re supposed to act in his best interest. Of course [agents take a percentage]. 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.
“[Sporting] had concluded a deal with Manchester United behind our backs, that was a problem. United offered a higher transfer fee.”
Chalkias criticised Sporting’s handling of the situation and singled out decisions he felt undermined the process. “If [former sporting director Hugo] Viana were still at Sporting, the deal would have been done within an hour,” Chalkias continued.
He added: “Everything was written but we didn’t have time to start a legal battle. I don’t understand how a player who scored so many goals and won three trophies didn’t deserve more respect.
“The industry is about trusting people. The sacrifices we made were probably the turning point in getting the deal done. They offered him to Real Madrid , made headlines with Madrid and even United, but from day one there was a commitment to Arsenal.”
The agent’s account frames the transfer as a contested process in which offers from multiple parties were considered but the player elected to join Arsenal.
Arsenal
Arteta Signals Arsenal Are Still in the Market After Vinícius Júnior Miss
Arteta says Arsenal are still “trying” to add elite players after missing out on Vinícius Júnior.
Mikel Arteta has made clear that Arsenal are still searching for top-level additions after missing out on Vinícius Júnior from Real Madrid.
The Arsenal manager said the club are “trying” to strengthen further, even after the arrival of Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle United gave the squad a timely lift. But for Arteta, the work is not done.
“That’s what we’re trying to do,” Arteta said after Sunday’s defeat to Borussia Dortmund when asked whether fans can expect more new signings.
“It has to be the right player in the market to make us much better. We are very much looking forward to that.”
Arsenal remain in a difficult position as the summer window moves towards its final weeks. They have pursued several targets openly, including Rogers and Vinícius Jr., yet the club are still not close to completing another deal.
A left winger continues to be a key priority. The departure of Leandro Trossard to Beşiktaş was balanced by the arrival of Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, but Arsenal still appear to want a higher-level option in that area. An upgrade on Gabriel Martinelli would, in the view of the club, raise the side to another level.
Barcola is still available, although he is expected to be extremely expensive. Other possible options, including AC Milan’s Rafael Leão and Athletic Club’s Nico Williams, are also mentioned as players who may yet be available.
Defensive reinforcements are also under consideration. Arteta has already said it will be some time before William Saliba returns from a back injury, while Jurriën Timber is dealing with a groin problem and will miss the start of the season.
Ezri Konsa is understood to sit high on Arsenal’s shortlist. The Guardian reported that an opening bid has already been turned down, with Villa standing firm at $81 million (£60 million).
Arsenal
Arteta gives fresh update on Saliba and Timber as Arsenal wait on key defenders
Arteta says Timber is weeks away and Saliba is in rest mode, leaving Arsenal short in defence.
Arsenal will remain without two important defenders for the opening stretch of the 2026/27 Premier League season, after Mikel Arteta offered another update on Jurriën Timber and William Saliba.
Timber has been involved with the pre-season squad, but Arteta said the right back is not close to a full return. The Dutchman remains “still weeks away” from playing, with the manager adding that there is no exact timeline. Arsenal begin their title defence with a Friday night trip to Coventry City on Aug. 21, and with four league matches to follow before the September international break, a comeback before October appears unlikely.
“I cannot be very precise with [Timber’s return schedule],” Arteta told reporters. “Jurriën is progressing really well. He’s on the [training] pitch and doing quite a lot right now but is still weeks away [from playing a match]—I cannot tell you how [many weeks].”
Saliba’s situation looks even more serious. The defender went to the World Cup, but a back injury that was worsened in France’s semifinal defeat to Spain last month has ruled him out of contention. Arsenal had already confirmed that he would miss an “extended period,” and Arteta now says “Willy is in rest mode” and has done “almost nothing” over recent weeks so as not to aggravate the problem further. “It’s going to take some time to heal.”
That leaves Arsenal with a notable gap beside Gabriel at the heart of defence. Cristhian Mosquera is again in line to cover for Saliba, while Timber’s absence increases the need for Ben White on the right, despite transfer links this summer. Piero Hincapié is another option at centre back, although he has mainly been used at left back because of Riccardo Calafiori’s inconsistent availability.
Arsenal
Copley confirms ACL setback after Arsenal preseason appearance
Copley’s preseason debut ended early, and Arsenal now face another defensive injury concern.
Arsenal midfielder Louie Copley has revealed that his preseason outing ended with a serious knee injury after the club’s 3-1 defeat to Real Betis.
Copley was introduced at half time and briefly filled in at right back, but his first appearance of the summer lasted only 11 minutes before he was forced off. The injury has since been diagnosed as an ACL problem.
On social media, Copley wrote: “Words can’t describe how I’m feeling right now, to making my preseason debut for the team I’ve grown up supporting to finding out I’ve ruptured my ACL,” he reflected on social media.
He added: “The road ahead won’t be easy but I’ll give everything to come back stronger and better.”
The timing leaves Copley facing a long recovery, with the possibility that he could return later in the coming season if rehabilitation goes well. For now, though, expectations will be kept in check as he begins a difficult spell on the sidelines.
His setback also removes a player who had been trying to make a case at right back, a position Arsenal have already had to manage carefully. Jurriën Timber has spent months out with a groin issue, while Ben White has also dealt with significant fitness problems in the past. White has been starting this summer, with Copley being given the chance to provide cover before the knee injury struck.
Arsenal’s defensive concerns are not limited to the right side. William Saliba is set for a lengthy period out because of a back problem, and that has already pushed Cristhian Mosquera, another right-back option, into central defence alongside Gabriel.
For Copley, the injury is a harsh interruption to a preseason that had offered him a chance to step forward.
