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Sporting Lisbon agreed a deal to sell Viktor Gyokeres to Manchester United worth more than the fee Arsenal eventually paid to secure his services, an assistant to the Swede's agent has claimed in a bombshell interview.
The Red Devils and Gunners were in a two-horse race to sign the 27-year-old for much of last summer's transfer window after he bagged an impressive 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting.
Many thought United would have been Gyokeres's preferred destination given he worked under Ruben Amorim for two seasons in the Primeira Liga.
He however eventually chose to join Arsenal after going on strike in a bid to force a move, with the north London club paying a fee of around £64million to bring the powerful centre-forward to the club.
Yet Jonathan Chalkias, an assistant to Gyokeres's agent Hasan Cetinkaya, has now claimed that Sporting would have preferred their talesman to join United.
Speaking on the Studio Allsvenskan podcast, he added that the Portuguese champions had 'concluded a deal' with the Red Devils after Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co agreed to pay over the odds.
Sporting Lisbon agreed a deal to sell Viktor Gyokeres to Man United for a hefty fee, an assistant to the Swede's agent has claimed
Many thought Old Trafford would have been the Swede's preferred destination given he used to work under Ruben Amorim
Gyokeres however ultimately chose a move to Arsenal, who he 'had a commitment to from day one'
'There were crazy amounts offered from Saudi Arabia,' he said, 'we're supposed to act in our best interest.
'Do we have 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.
'They (Sporting) had concluded a deal with Manchester United behind our backs, that was a problem. United offered a higher transfer fee.'
Gyokeres's refusal to train with Sporting amid his attempts to leave the club brought him criticism not only from the club's supporters, but also its president Frederico Varandas.
He vowed to hand Gyokeres a 'hefty fine' while also slamming the footballer's 'strategy' to force a move away from the club.
'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.'
Gyokeres's entourage have now hit-back at such criticism, with Chalkias claiming his client deserved 'more respect' from the club.
The Swede went on strike at Sporting in a bid to force a move to north London
He's had a subdued start to life in north London however, scoring three goals in 10 appearances
Manager Mikel Arteta has nevertheless praised the forward and his work-rate
'If (Hugo) Viana were still at Sporting, the deal would have been done within an hour,' he claimed.
'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 endured a subdued start to life at the Emirates, netting three goals in his first 10 appearances for the club.
His performances have at times drawn criticism from pundits but Arteta has been full of praise for him in press conferences.
After the Gunners 2-0 win against West Ham United on the weekend, the Spaniard said: '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.'
The win saw Arsenal leap-frog Liverpool - who lost at Chelsea - to the top of the Premier League table.
They're back in action with a short trip to Fulham after the international break.
