Viktor Gyokeres’ uncle is convinced that the in-demand striker will remain with Sporting CP this summer despite strong links to Arsenal following an impressive stint where the 26-year-old has notched up 96 goals in just 101 outings for the Portuguese giants. It comes after the forward’s own links with Liverpool.
Arsenal is keeping tabs on the Swedish sharpshooter ahead of the forthcoming transfer window as they aim to add a prolific presence to their front line. The North London club’s newly-appointed sporting director, Andrea Berta, is understood to be a fervent admirer of Gyokeres and is set to push Mikel Arteta to champion his acquisition for the spearhead role at Emirates Stadium.
In a demonstration of his scoring finesse, Gyokeres bagged a goal in the 2-0 triumph over Vitoria, clinching back-to-back titles in Portugal for Sporting. It was during an interview post-match that his uncle, Chris, let slip significant news regarding Viktor’s career path.
Donned in Sporting colors, Chris started: “I’m super happy, this is amazing. We were here last year, it’s the same spirit, the same people, the same atmosphere. Absolutely fantastic! Beyond words!”.
Subsequently, Chris shed light on Viktor’s future plans involving his stay at Sporting, upon being questioned whether they see their future with the club: “Yes, very much… yesterday at dinner we decided that he has to stay.”
In a brief but telling response, he conveyed his optimism regarding Gyokeres’ future with “Yes, we think so. We hope so, because watch this, we love it, it’s amazing, the country, the people and Sporting. And the lions, we love them!”.
Gyokeres himself played it safe when discussing what lies ahead, especially with the Taca de Portugal final against rivals Benfica on the horizon, saying to Noticias, “Hopefully you can expect I keep improving and score goals.
“We’ll see. It’s the future. Football is like that, you never know what’s going to happen. As we saw this season, you never know what’s going to happen. And it’s the same thing now. We’ll see what the future holds.”
Whether Arsenal and Berta have been swayed by his uncle’s remarks or if Gyokeres’ own inclination to stay has grown post his role in clinching the title is yet to be seen.
O Jogo, one of Portugal’s big outlets, boldly announced that Gyokeres appears set for a transfer to Arsenal, featuring a headline that reads “Swede on his way to Arsenal.”
The report suggests that a £58.9 million ($79 million) agreement has been reached between the two clubs, with only personal terms left to be finalized. However, Arsenal have also been linked with a host of other forwards, including Benjamin Sesko and Victor Osimhen.
