Viktor Gyokeres is reportedly facing disciplinary action after failing to report for pre-season training. Arsenal have been engaged in transfer talks to try and lure the Swedish striker away from Lisbon this summer, but Sporting are refusing to budge on their financial demands.
Gyokeres and his entourage felt they had a gentleman's agreement in place with club president Frederico Varandas which would allow him to leave for around £65million this summer. The Sporting chief has publicly denied that, and he is now believed to be holding out for a £69m total package with around £60.5m being paid up front.
Sporting commanded their players to report for pre-season training at 5pm local time today (Saturday). But with a long-running transfer saga threatening to drag on for a while longer, Gyokeres has taken drastic action by going AWOL.
According to The Guardian, the 27-year-old is likely to be slapped with a hefty fine unless he can provide Sporting with a 'legitimate justification' for his absence, such as a medical reason or an urgent family matter.
But it is understood that the Sporting squad leaving for a pre-season training camp in the Algarve has not come as a total surprise. Reports earlier this week indicated that Gyokeres had no intention of turning up, and he has told Varandas that he will not play for the club again.
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