Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres revealed the stance on his future during the summer transfer window as Liverpool and Arsenal links failed to materialize.
The Sweden striker has shone in Portugal since joining Sporting in the summer of 2023 from Championship side Coventry City. In his debut season in Lisbon, Gyokeres scored 43 times in 50 appearances in all competitions as Ruben Amorim’s side won the Primeira Liga.
Gyokeres’ form put Premier League clubs including the Reds, Arsenal and Chelsea all on red alert regarding the former Brighton & Hove Albion youngster’s availability. But a move never came to fruition and the 26-year-old has explained why, saying he’s excited to see what happens in the next window.
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He told Swedish outlet Sport Bladet : “They (Sporting) wanted most of the starting players to stay and held us tight. That’s how it turned out, but I enjoy Sporting very much, so for me it was no problem to stay. Of course you want to play at the highest level. It (release clause) was probably a bit too much because nothing came of it.
“Of course, it’s a lot of money. But we’ll see what happens next window… I enjoy myself very much in Sporting and can’t complain about anything, so it’s absolutely no problem for me to stay. Of course, you aim to test other leagues and a higher level, but I have no stress.”
Gyokeres remains under contract at the Estadio Jose Alvalade until 2028, leaving Sporting in no rush to lower their demands and sell their star at a cut price. He’s sure to capture the attention again throughout the season with him already scoring seven times in Sporting’s first four league games of the season.
Sporting are the only side to have a 100 per cent record in the Portuguese top-flight already this season, with them beating their main league challenges Porto 2-0 last time out. Lisbon rivals Benfica have begun the season slowly by dropping four points in the opening four matches despite not playing one of the more renowned teams in the league. An opening day losing away to Famalicao and relying on a stoppage-time penalty to salvage a draw at Moreirense cost manager Roger Schmidt his job.
The Portuguese champions have been drawn against Manchester City and Arsenal in the new Champions League format, giving Arne Slot and the rest of the Premier League the perfect chance to cast an eagle eye on the Swede and judge whether he could prove to be as clinical if he does return to England one day.
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