Sporting president Frederico Varandas has confirmed that striker Viktor Gyokeres will face disciplinary proceedings at the club after failing to turn up to training on Saturday.

Gyokeres was due back for pre-season training on July 12, after the club gave him permission to delay his return.

Arsenal have been in talks to sign the 27-year-old, but have so far failed to come to an agreement on a £69m deal.

Varandas said: “We’re calm. 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.”

Sporting are believed to want an initial fee of £60.4m, plus £8.6m in add-ons.

After joining Sporting from Coventry for around £20m in 2023, Gyokeres has scored 97 goals in 102 matches during his two seasons in Portugal.

Gyokeres hit 54 goals in 52 games in all competitions during the last campaign, including a hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League, as he helped Sporting win the league and the Portuguese Cup.

A move to Arsenal would see Gyokeres return to English football, having joined Brighton in January 2018 before moving to Coventry after loan spells at St Pauli and Swansea.

Gyokeres scored 43 goals for Coventry in his two and a half seasons at the Championship side.

Gyokeres to Arsenal transfer latest

Talks continue between Arsenal and Sporting over the signing of Gyokeres but a gap in the valuation of the striker remains between the two clubs.

While the clubs aren’t too far away from a compromise on an overall fee, it’s thought how much of that fee will be guaranteed is key.

Arsenal are understood to be encouraged and impressed with the player’s desire to join, but they will be disciplined in their approach.

They have done due diligence on other targets if a deal cannot be struck with Sporting.

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