He was chased by Premier League members such as West Ham, Brentford and Wolverhampton, but Viktor Gyokeres decided to leave the Island and become a capital reinforcement for Sporting Lisbon.The Swede of Hungarian origin moved from Coventry to the famous Portuguese club in a record transfer for both clubs. The Lisbon Lions paid Coventry a fixed fee of 20,000,000 euros plus 4,000,000 through bonuses for Gyokeres. So far, Sporting’s most expensive purchase was Paulinho, who was paid 16,000,000 to Braga a few years ago. On the other end, Coventry’s record sale is the transfer of the then-young Robbie Keane, whom Inter Milan paid around 19,000,000 euros in the summer of 2000.Premier League football at Kenilworth Road! Luton write history via penalties at Coventry’s expense!Gyokeres signed a five-year contract with the Lions worth 1,250,000 euros per season, which with bonus time can increase to 2,000,000 euros per year. The buyout clause now amounts to 100,000,000 euros.Why were Sporting so obsessed with Gyokeres?The 25-year-old Swede exploded in the Championship last season and scored 21 goals for Coventry, finishing the season as the league’s second-best scorer. He immediately attracted the attention of bigger clubs, but he did not want to stay on the Island. He was attracted by the size of the Portuguese club and the chance to play in Europe. Negotiations lasted for weeks, Sporting had to send several offers and Coventry eventually agreed.##NAJAVA_MECA_7371250##Gyokeres came to the Island five years ago as an anonymous from the Swedish Brommapojkarna for 1,000,000 euros. He was discovered by Brighton’s famous scouting system, but he did not follow the path of many talents who shone in the Seagulls jersey. They sent him on loan to St. Pauli, Swansea and finally Coventry, where it clicked and he recorded 40 goals in two seasons. Coventry bought him right after the first year for only 1,200,000 euros and now he has made tenfold.Sporting finally got the ‘no.9’ they lacked last season, as Paulinho and the young Chermiti did not carry the burden of expectations.💚 @viktor_gyokeres pic.twitter.com/9SlDAr5gsr— Sporting CP Adeptos (@Sporting_CPAdep) July 13, 2023
