Sporting Clube president Frederico Varandas has confirmed that Viktor Gyokeres will face disciplinary action after going on strike amid strong interest from Arsenal. Gyokeres, 27, failed to report for the club’s pre-season training this week, despite Sporting having granted him an extended summer break until Saturday, July 12. That patience has now run out, with Frederico Varandas vowing to hand the in-demand striker a ‘hefty fine’.
‘If they don’t want to pay Viktor’s fair market value, we’ll be very comfortable with that for the next three years. 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. No one is above the interests of the club. Whoever they are.’ Frederico Varandas
Gyokeres scored a staggering 54 goals for Sporting last term across all competitions and is rated as one of the most prolific forwards in Europe. The former Coventry City and Brighton striker currently has three years remaining on his contract with the Portuguese giants, though it appears unlikely in the extreme that he will be seeing out those terms as things stand.
Viktor Gyokeres has started an incredible scoring run in the Portuguese division since moving to Sporting CP from Coventry City in 2023 for a hefty £20 million. He has scored 97 goals in just 102 games over the last two seasons, demonstrating his exceptional goal-scoring talent. Before his move to Sporting, he notched 43 goals in two and a half seasons with Coventry, demonstrating his effectiveness in front of goal.
Despite his success at the club level, Gyokeres never had the opportunity to play in the Premier League during his time with Brighton & Hove Albion, where he struggled to secure a regular spot in the starting lineup. Given that he has publicly stated his ambition to return to England’s top division, this left him feeling as though there was still work to be done. After what he views as a difficult stint with Brighton, when he felt he was unable to completely showcase his skills, Gyokeres wants to prove himself and find atonement. His path so far has demonstrated not only his ability to score goals but also his will to succeed in the Premier League.
