Viktor Gyokeres finds himself in the middle of a bitter transfer saga with Arsenal pushing to sign him from Sporting Lisbon and his exit from the Portuguese side could potentially be explosive
Viktor Gyokeres might be bidding farewell to Sporting Lisbon sooner rather than later. The Swedish striker has been strongly linked with a stunning move to Arsenal.
He has reportedly prioritised a move to the Emirates Stadium despite interest from their Premier League rivals Manchester United. Should he choose to release a goodbye message to his current employers, it could be slightly telling given the circumstances of his departure.
It has been reported that Gyokeres has been willing to go on strike after being left furious at Sporting for going back on agreement to sell him for a reduced fee. He has also spurned clear-the-air talks with Sporting.
It all means the manner of his departure will be completely different to his initial move to Sporting. The striker signed for the Portuguese giants in 2023 following a prolific spell with Coventry.
And it was certainly clear how much the Midlands club meant to him during his goodbye message shared on the club’s social media account. He said: “Hi, Viktor here. Where to start... It’s been a fantastic journey the last two and a half years at Coventry City. We have been through a lot of different challenges and I just think we stuck together all the time.
“As a family, both players and staff, and of course the fans, and everyone else around the club, and I think we showed that, especially last season when we had a really difficult beginning of the season when we couldn’t play any of the home games and were bottom of the table. And we still believed in the goals that we had to make the play-offs, and we worked really hard together and got the support from the fans and in the end we made it.
“And we made it all the way to the final as well. Of course, we didn’t win as we all wanted and all dreamed of doing, but that’s life. But I am just really grateful for all the memories that we made together and the friends I made in Coventry.”
He added: “The support from the fans has been unbelievable, the Sky Blue Army is something special and something I will never forget. I just wanted to thank the support I got from the gaffer, Adi (Viveash), Dennis (Lawrence), the help from Richard and Vinnie and everyone else around the club, all the players... It has been fantastic and I can’t thank you enough for the time I have had with you. I think it’s best that I stop doing this video now before I start to cry.
Would Viktor Gyokeres be a good signing for Arsenal? Share your thoughts in the comments below
“It’s been amazing and I just wanted to wish you all the best in the future and I hope I see you somewhere in the future, and thanks for everything.”
Of course, there’s still some work to do ahead of any departure message but fans will no doubt be keeping an eye out for what Gyokeres says given the bitter nature of his transfer saga.