Viktor Gyokeres is due to face his former club Sporting Lisbon with Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals
14:09, 07 Apr 2026
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal walks out before the Carabao Cup Final match Arsenal and between Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on March 22, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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Viktor Gyokeres is set to take on former club Sporting Lisbon with Arsenal(Image: Stuart MacFarlane, Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
The Champions League quarter-finals have delivered a poignant reunion as Arsenal prepare to face Sporting Lisbon. The Gunners recruited striker Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting during the summer and the Swedish forward will make his first return to Estadio Jose Alvalade as an opposition player on Tuesday after firing the Portuguese side to back-to-back domestic titles.
Gyokeres scored just shy of 100 goals across his two Sporting seasons, with highlights including a hat-trick against Manchester City in last season's Champions League. His spell in England has proved somewhat inconsistent thus far, though his return of 17 Arsenal goals in 43 appearances does still include four in Europe.
The Gunners are in urgent need of a positive result in Portugal following successive defeats that have threatened to undermine their campaign. Mikel Arteta's side struggled to trouble Manchester City in their Carabao Cup final defeat before suffering an unexpected FA Cup elimination against Championship side Southampton.
Gyokeres, who will have a part to play after helping Sweden qualify for the World Cup during the March international break, is understood to have made numerous sacrifices to fulfil his Arsenal ambition. We have taken a closer look at the Sweden international and his journey from Sporting star to Arsenal frontman.
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Viktor Gyokeres' net worth
In July, talkSPORT claimed Gyokeres was set to earn £200,000 per week at Arsenal. Around the same period, Portuguese outlet Record suggested the Swedish striker had agreed to accept a reduced salary to enable Arsenal to meet Sporting's asking price, with Arsenal ultimately agreeing a fee worth up to £63.7million including add-ons.
The weekly salary represents a modest rise from the £180,000 per week he was reportedly receiving during his time as Sporting's top earner. Various estimates have been shared regarding his net worth, which is thought to stand at around £8m, although it's important to note his five-year Arsenal contract is valued at more than £50m in total.
Despite only marginally upping his salary, Gyokeres remains among Arsenal's top earners. According to Spotrac, just five colleagues earn more, with Kai Havertz the highest-paid on £280,000 per week.
'Split' with girlfriend and reunion hint
Viktor Gyokeres was in a relationship with Ines Aguiar
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Viktor Gyokeres was in a relationship with Ines Aguiar while at Sporting
During his spell in Lisbon, Gyokeres was dating Ines Aguiar, an actress and influencer. Aguiar, who has appeared in numerous Portuguese films and television programmes, had been in a relationship with the footballer for approximately a year before the couple reportedly separated in the summer of 2025 amid speculation the striker didn't want any reason to be tied to Portugal.
Some Arsenal supporters referenced the apparent separation in a terrace chant. However, if the pair did part ways, they are now understood to have reunited.
In March, Aguiar posted a series of photographs and videos captioned 'Somewhere in a very recent past'. Eagle-eyed viewers noted that the collage included a short clip from Mansfield Town's ground, where Gyokeres and Arsenal competed in the FA Cup fifth round.
Reaction to Sporting strike
LISBON, PORTUGAL - NOVEMBER 5: Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting CP celebrates 4-1 during the UEFA Champions League match between Sporting CP v Manchester City at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on November 5, 2024 in Lisbon Portugal (Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)
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Gyokeres scored 97 Sporting goals before joining Arsenal(Image: Soccrates Images, Getty Images)
Gyokeres finalised his transfer to Arsenal on July 26, 2025 after the Gunners won the race for his signature. Fellow Premier League side Manchester United - then under the management of ex-Sporting manager Ruben Amorim - had also been linked.
The forward was understood to have gone on strike at Sporting in the lead-up to the move and this didn't go down too well. Club president Frederico Varandas adopted a firm stance, imposing financial penalties on the player and issuing a warning regarding his future behaviour.
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"We're calm," Varandas informed Portuguese news agency Lusa, as translated by ESPN. "Everything can be solved with the closure of the market, a hefty fine and an apology to the group. If they don't want to pay Viktor's fair market value, we'll be very comfortable with that for the next three years.
"If the geniuses who are devising this strategy think that this puts pressure on me to make it easier for him to leave, not only are they completely wrong, but they are also making it more complicated for the player to leave. No one is above the interests of the club. Whoever they are."
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Arsenal have reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals where they face Sporting CP on April 7. Fans can watch the game for free with an Amazon Prime subscription or 30-day trial.