Viktor Gyokeres almost joined Manchester United before choosing Arsenal. Sporting Lisbon reportedly preferred United's higher offer, but the striker's entourage committed to the Gunners.

When Viktor Gyokeres completed his high-profile move to Arsenal last summer, many assumed it was the natural next step for a player who had dazzled in Portugal with Sporting Lisbon. But behind the scenes, the transfer saga was far more dramatic-and almost took him to Manchester United instead.

Gyokeres, 27, had scored a staggering 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting Lisbon, cementing his reputation as one of Europe's most lethal forwards. Both Arsenal and Manchester United were locked in a tense transfer battle throughout last summer's window, with the Swede's future hanging in the balance.

Given his two seasons under Ruben Amorim in the Primeira Liga, many expected Gyokeres to favor a move to Manchester United.

Yet the player ultimately chose Arsenal, with the north London club paying a reported £64 million for the striker's services.

Surprisingly, Sporting themselves might have had a different preference. Jonathan Chalkias, assistant to Gyokeres's agent Hasan Cetinkaya, revealed on the Studio Allsvenskan podcast that the Portuguese champions had already“concluded a deal” with Manchester United.

“They (Sporting) had concluded a deal with Manchester United behind our backs, that was a problem. United offered a higher transfer fee,” Chalkias said.

He added that offers from Saudi Arabia were“crazy,” but insisted the entourage acted in Gyokeres's best interest.“Do we also have a percentage (of any fee)? Of course. 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.”

Gyokeres's attempts to force a move were not without tension. He refused to train with Sporting, which drew sharp criticism from the club's president, Frederico Varandas.

“If the geniuses who are devising this strategy think that this puts pressure on me to make it easier for him to leave, not only are they completely wrong, but they are also making it more complicated for the player to leave,” Varandas said.“No one is bigger than the club.”

Chalkias hit back, calling for more respect for Gyokeres.“If (Hugo) Viana were still at Sporting, the deal would have been done within an hour. 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."

Gyokeres has had a mixed start at Arsenal, scoring three goals in his first 10 appearances. Some pundits have been critical, but manager Mikel Arteta has been unequivocal in his praise.

“I just went there and hugged him and said thank you because the work he does is unbelievable for the team. The way he stretches the back four and the spaces he opens. How he hasn't scored a goal today, I don't know,” Arteta said after Arsenal's 2-0 win over West Ham United, a result that lifted the Gunners above Liverpool to the top of the Premier League table.

The Swedish striker now looks ahead to Arsenal's trip to Fulham after the international break, aiming to justify the hype-and the eye-watering transfer fee-on a consistent basis.

Viktor Gyokeres's move to Arsenal was far from straightforward. Behind the headlines, there were offers from Manchester United, Saudi Arabia, and even Real Madrid, as well as tense negotiations with Sporting. Yet despite the controversy, he remains a player whose impact goes beyond goals-a striker whose movement, work rate, and presence already give Arsenal a different dynamic. Only time will tell if his Emirates career will fully match the record-breaking exploits he left behind in Portugal.

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