Sporting Clube de Portugal president Frederico Varandas has confirmed that there is no ill feeling between him and Viktor Gyokeres following the striker’s transfer to Arsenal. The move saw the Swedish forward miss Arsenal’s pre-season as negotiations between the two clubs dragged on, with both sides working to agree on the deal’s terms.
Addressing the situation at the time, Varandas stated, “We’re calm. If they (clubs) don’t want to pay the fair market price for Viktor Gyokeres, we will be very comfortable with that for the next three years.” Despite the initially tense negotiations, Gyokeres eventually secured his Premier League move under circumstances that were bittersweet, though the two parties now appear to be on good terms.
Varandas praised Gyokeres for his time at Sporting, hailing the 27-year-old as a club legend after just two seasons in Lisbon, during which he scored 97 goals in 102 appearances. “I sent a message to congratulate Gyokeres,” Varandas told reporters, adding, “Gyokeres will always be a legend for this club, and as Sporting president, I will always defend the legends who have represented the club. He was one of the greatest professionals I had here until the end of last season.”
Gyokeres has now signed a five-year deal with Arsenal, with the Gunners paying an initial €63.5 million (£55m) plus €10 million (£8.7m) in add-ons. The club believes they have secured an excellent deal for the player, whose commitment to joining remained steadfast throughout the transfer saga.
Since joining Arsenal, Gyokeres has made a strong start, scoring two goals in the first three Premier League games and starting in every match so far, reinforcing the club’s decision to invest heavily in the Swedish international.
