Cristiano Ronaldo has made his feelings clear on Viktor Gyokeres exit from his beloved Sporting Clube de Portugal to join Arsenal.
Gyokeres’ completed the move to the Emirates Stadium at the end of July, ending a prolonged hunt for an elite centre-forward. The deal is worth an initial £55million and could potentially rise to £63.5m.
Sporting’s statement at the time, confirming his exit, read: “The financial consideration for the transfer of the Player [Gyokeres] to be paid by Arsenal FC to Sporting SAD corresponds to €76,020,513.00, which comprises the sum of (i) a fixed portion of €65,764,103.00 and (ii) a variable portion that may rise to a maximum value of €10,256,410.00, depending on the achievement of certain objectives related to the sporting performance of the Player and Arsenal FC.”
That said, the striker left his former club on a sour note after going on strike and remaining in Sweden while waiting for updates on the transfer, causing him to miss the start of Sporting’s pre-season.
Reports from Portugal also suggested he felt Sporting president Frederico Varandas reneged on a deal to let him leave for €60 million (£52m) plus €10 million (£8m) in add-ons – a fee Arsenal had previously surpassed.
Upon completing the move, he reflected on his departure from the Portuguese giants, admitting he experienced ups and downs and describing the last month as ‘difficult.’
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Ronaldo, who featured for Al Nassr and scored a hat-trick in a friendly against Rio Ave in the Algarve last week, was asked about Gyokeres’ departure from Estadio Jose Alvalade.
“Gyokeres? We only miss those who are there, that’s what they say,” he told reporters.
“I believe Sporting will be competitive. He was a special player, but the team will have to adapt.
“I believe [Luis] Suarez, who arrived from Almeria, is an excellent forward. [Conrad] Harder is also a good player, young, and needs time.
“I watched the Super Cup; Sporting performed well against Benfica, but they didn’t win because they couldn’t – that’s football.”
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