Coach Slams Gyokeres’ “Reprehensible Conduct” In Arsenal Move

Viktor Gyokeres’ impending move to Arsenal will not come without cost to his legacy, according to one Portuguese pundit.

The Athletic report that Gyokeres will come to London for a medical this weekend for an initial fee of €63.5m (£55.3m) plus €10m (£8.7m) in add-on clauses.

The forward has however been criticised in Portugal amid a perception that he has pushed hard for the move, which some Sporting fans – perhaps naturally – have construed as a lack of respect towards the club.

Arsenal target Viktor Gyokeres poses with his medal after the Portuguese League football match between Sporting CP and Vitoria Guimaraes SC at Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, on May 17, 2025. Sporting Lisbon defended their Portuguese crown today with a 2-0 win over Guimaraes to hold off rivals Benfica on the final day of the Primeira Liga season.

Manager and pundit Laurindo Filho outlined that stance, saying Gyokeres has irreparably damaged what could have been a legendary legacy at Sporting with the nature of his departure.

However, he also believes that the sting of losing Gyokeres will fade among fans in time, particularly if Sporting can now go out and find an adequate replacement.

Viktor Gyokeres in his Coventry City days

Filho told A Bola: “It is precisely this lack of professionalism, this lack of character in my opinion, also supported by the Swede, that in the end will remain until a new striker arrives who can make people forget.

“[That will happen] not only in terms of goals and assists, but also through the help he will obviously give to the club to be able to return or continue at that level.

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“In life, time will always tell, and it’s a good way to make people forget what was less good. It was divided and as the years go by, what do you want?

“He could have stayed here and be regarded as a legendary figure at Sporting, but only be agreed as a great goalscorer, because it is difficult to place him at the level of the pantheon of Sporting’s immortals.

“His conduct, the professional human, was reprehensible.

“Sporting has, for example, Manuel Fernandes among its icons and Gyokeres could never be alongside Manuel Fernandes in the history of Sporting.

“He could have been could have been if he had wanted to.”

Fernandes scored 260 goals in 441 apperances for Sporting from 1975 to 1987 on top of two summers playing in the United States, and later briefly managed the club.

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