Viktor Gyokeres has offered his verdict on the perfect week for Sporting CP after they sealed a second consecutive Primeira Liga title.
A 2-0 victory over Vitoria on Saturday, with Gyokeres unsurprisingly on target, saw them beat Benfica to claim top spot and they can get another one over on their fierce rivals this coming weekend when the two teams square off in the Taca de Portugal final.
That could end up being the Swede’s last game for Sporting but the man himself is not giving anything away about what may happen this summer.
“It’s football, I’m still here,” the 26-year-old told Portuguese broadcaster Sport.TV, as per Record, after Sporting’s title triumph. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. Nobody can predict the future.”
In the meantime, Gyokeres’ focus will have been on celebrating the success, both in the immediate aftermath and the days following. Talk about his future has continued though, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano revealing the expectation is that he will leave for around £60million.
While there is no direct mention of Arsenal, the interest from north London is strong and has only increased since the arrival of Andrea Berta.
Multiple reports in Portugal have gone as far as claiming that an agreement has already been reached between the two parties with the front page of Portuguese newspaper O Jogo on Monday writing, “Swede on his way to Arsenal”.
It is also claimed that the Gunners are set to pay £58.9million and now just need to agree personal terms. In terms of other teams interested, Manchester United have been linked to Gyokeres ever since Ruben Amorim moved from Sporting to Old Trafford back in November.
However, it appears their focus is on signing Matheus Cunha and Liam Delap from Wolves and Ipswich Town, respectively.
As for Arsenal and Gyokeres, any direct talks are unlikely to take place until Sporting’s 2024/25 season is over. Preparation for that final game will start later this week but its fair to say that in the meantime, he and his teammates are basking in their glory.
On Instagram, Gyokeres uploaded a number of photos from their title-winning game and the celebrations that followed. Referencing last season’s triumph as well, he captioned the post: “First time was so nice we had to do it twice [two trophy emojis].”
Several other Sporting stars were quick to comment and hint that they want him to stay while Declan Rice made his feelings clear by liking the post.
Despite the huge claims about a potential move to Arsenal, he will likely join as the club’s second summer signing if he does complete the switch with Martin Zubimendi joining from Real Sociedad on the verge of being finalised.
