Ex-Sporting man hails Suárez, Gyökeres still a big surprise | OneFootball

Luis Suárez continues to prove that he was a spot-on bet when Sporting – who are missing an important duo – needed to find a replacement to shoulder the heavy legacy left by Viktor Gyokeres. That’s the view of Carlos Saleiro, former striker for the Lions, who was particularly impressed by the qualities and goals of the Colombian international, after the Club’s victory over PSG (2-1) last Tuesday in the Champions League.

"Honestly, I didn’t know about Luis Suárez. Coming from Spain’s second division to Sporting, who play in the Champions League and are fighting for a third consecutive championship, expectations were high. Sporting paid a very large sum, but they got it right," he began, speaking to Notícias ao Minuto.

"I believe that for most fans in Portugal, Suárez was unknown. He was always a question mark, but from the very first games it was clear that he wanted to add a lot and continue what Gyokeres had provided. He’s been a big surprise, a pleasant surprise for all Sporting fans. He’s living up to the transfer fee. Another great performance, another two goals," emphasizes the former Lions striker.

"Obviously, times change and more players come along, but we always look at these types of players as references: Beto Acosta, Mário Jardel, Liedson, and so many others. They were super important and made a significant contribution. In my opinion, we can never overlook those who really contributed, and Gyokeres was super important for Sporting in the last two years," he points out.

"He knows how to link up play well, moves very well, has that South American energy and a nose for goal. Those more technical characteristics are very clear in Suárez. That makes him very complete and a bit different from what Gyokeres was. As I’ve said, Suárez is delivering in every game, considering the expectations and the price he cost," he argues, referring to the more than 20 million invested by Sporting last summer.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.