Viktor Gyokeres' uncle believes the striker will remain with Sporting CP this summer despite being strongly linked with a transfer to Arsenal.
The 26-year-old has taken European football by storm over the past two seasons with a remarkable tally of 96 goals in 101 games since joining the Portuguese giants.
With Arsenal on the hunt for a prolific frontman this summer, it's understood their new sporting director, Andrea Berta, holds Gyokeres in high regard and will look to persuade Mikel Arteta that the Swede is the right man to lead the line at the Emirates Stadium.
Gyokeres once again showed his world class goalscoring ability at the weekend, netting against Vitoria to clinch back-to-back Liga Portugal titles for Sporting. And speaking on the day of the victory, Gyokeres' uncle, Chris, dropped a major bombshell about his nephew’s future.
He said while proudly wearing a Sporting scarf and jersey: "I'm super happy, this is amazing. We were here last year, it's the same spirit, the same people, the same atmosphere. Absolutely fantastic! Beyond words!"
Chris revealed that the family had already held discussions over Viktor’s potential transfer plans when asked if he felt they belonged at Sporting, saying: “Yes, very much... yesterday at dinner we decided that he has to stay.”
And he offered his thoughts in four words when asked whether Gyokeres will remain at the club this summer, replying: “Yes, we think so.”
He continued: “We hope so, because watch this, we love it, it's amazing, the country, the people and Sporting. And the lions, we love them!”
Viktor Gyökeres' uncle
Viktor Gyokeres' uncle says the Swede will not leave Sporting CP this summer (Image: X@Sporting_CPAdep)
Gyokeres played it more coy than his uncle when fielding a question about what the future holds ahead of Sunday’s Taca de Portugal final against bitter rivals Benfica. “Hopefully you can expect I keep improving and score goals,” he told Portuguese TV channel SIC Noticias.
After being quizzed further on whether a summer transfer is on the horizon, the former Coventry City and Brighton ace replied: "We'll see. It's the future. Football is like that, you never know what's going to happen.
“As we saw this season, you never know what’s going to happen. And it’s the same thing now. We’ll see what the future holds."
It is uncertain whether Arsenal and Berta will take heed of the comments from Gyokeres’ uncle, or whether his triumphant end to the season with Sporting has shifted his preference towards staying on.
Portuguese newspaper O Jogo had confidently claimed this week that Gyokeres is all set to join the north London club. The publication ran with a front page headline which translated to: "Swede on his way to Arsenal."
The report further stated that a £58.9million agreement has been reached between the two clubs, with only personal terms left to be finalised. However, Arsenal have also been linked with several other forwards, such as Benjamin Sesko and Victor Osimhen.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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