Viktor Gyokeres was on his way to the team bus when he spotted a fan holding a sign asking for a statue to be built for him.

He could not help but smile.

"I love you all," the Sweden striker said as he left Lisbon town hall after Sporting's back-to-back Portuguese league title celebrations last May.

Almost a year on, he will be reunited with those same fans on Tuesday as Sporting host Arsenal in the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final.

It is the first time Sporting have reached this stage of the competition in the Champions League era, but that is no accident - the club are enjoying their best spell in modern times, both on and off the pitch.

Over the past five seasons, they have been crowned Portuguese champions three times, have found peace after several years of internal turmoil and reached financial stability.

Sporting have posted a profit in their annual accounts for a fourth consecutive season, making a combined 82.3m euros over that period.

It feels ironic that the player who had the biggest impact throughout that run will now return looking to bring this fairytale to an end.

Such was Gyokeres' influence in the green half of Lisbon after joining from Coventry City in 2023 (97 goals in 102 matches) that only three footballers in Portuguese history have a better goals-per-game ratio than him: Fernando Peyroteo (526 goals in 325 matches), Eusebio (475 goals in 452 matches) and Mario Jardel (239 goals in 250 matches).

"He was one of the best, if not the best, deals in their history," Sporting legend and former Portugal international Ricardo Sa Pinto told BBC Sport.

"First, in footballing terms, without a doubt a top signing - one of the most impressive players Sporting have ever had. Then financially as well.

"At the time, people were a bit apprehensive - paying around 20m euros for a Coventry player, with no real track record or CV. He had talent, everyone could see that, but still.

"So full credit must go to the recruitment department, because they identified a huge opportunity. Of course, we would all have liked him to stay, but at 26 or 27, after two great seasons, it's natural for a player to want to move to another league, a different level, with different objectives."

Despite all that, it remains to be seen how Sporting fans will welcome Gyokeres, 27, back following a tumultuous summer involving his Arsenal move.

"It was sad. But there was nothing I could have done differently. It wasn't something I could control," the forward has said.

Until the deal was finalised, the Swede failed to report for pre-season, missed several training sessions and refused to return to Lisbon.

"He should still be welcomed with a huge ovation and real gratitude from all of us. Of course, departures are always complicated," Sa Pinto said.

"There was a bit of a stand-off at the time, with the club defending its interests - that doesn't mean, though, that they didn't like him, and the fans obviously do like him and understand the situation."

A recent poll by CNN Portugal/Mais Futebol found 50% of Sporting's supporters believe Gyokeres should be applauded on his return. The answer will come on Tuesday night.

Sporting boss Rui Borges said he was "sure" Gyokeres will be welcomed by fans because he "marked the history of Sporting, and he deserves this acknowledgement".

"He had the ambition, and after talking to the management, they came to an understanding so ultimately everything that happened was correct for both sides," added Borges.

"He wanted to take that step in his career and we respect that."

Gyokeres, who helped Sweden reach the World Cup finals a week ago, is the product of a scouting network that keeps delivering for Sporting.

The clearest example is arguably in midfield, where the Portuguese champions have consistently replaced key departures without a drop in level.

The club have been one step ahead in the transfer market, getting it right time and again, as signings such as Ivan Fresneda (from Valladolid), Maxi Araujo (Toluca), Ousmane Diomande (Mafra) Pedro Goncalves (Famalicao) and Luis Suarez (Almeria) prove.

That has allowed the Lions to compete among the best, even if the financial gap continues to grow.

Of the eight teams in the Champions League quarter-finals, seven rank among the world's top 15 by revenue in the 2026 Deloitte Football Money League. Sporting are the only exception, not even featuring in the top 30.

"In recent years, Sporting have managed to stabilise at board level, which was extremely important," Sa Pinto said.

"Decision-making has been concentrated in two or three people. They've protected the players, kept the dressing room tight, and built a balanced relationship with the media.

"Over the past 20 or 30 years, there was also always the feeling that Sporting were the ugly duckling, the side that was constantly on the wrong end of decisions.

"I experienced that myself as both a club player and a coach. The introduction of VAR has helped to level things out in Portuguese football."

If Sporting are to upset both Arsenal and Gyokeres and progress to the last four they would reach a stage Sa Pinto knows well.

The last two times the Lisboners made it to a European semi-final, he was there - first as a player in the 2004-05 Uefa Cup and then as a coach in the 2011-12 Europa League.

"Out of the five continental semis in the club's history, I was involved in two. That makes me incredibly proud," the 53-year-old says.

"As a manager, we were able knock out that Manchester City under Roberto Mancini, the so-called 500m euro team that everyone expected would thrash us. I remember it perfectly. We played two outstanding matches. We won 1-0 at home and lost 3-2 away, but we went through.

"It was an extraordinary achievement from all of us - staff and players. We believed, we were tactically very strong, mentally solid, and fully committed. That's the only way you can beat a team like that."

In order to do that again, Sporting will have to keep Gyokeres quiet.

And that would be a rarity for him at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

"His impact with Sporting was absolutely brutal. With all due respect to the other players - because Sporting have always had good players over the last two years - without Gyokeres, it wouldn't have been the same Sporting," Sa Pinto said.

"But dreaming and believing are essential in life. I truly believe anything is possible in this tie.

"Sporting have a team that has already shown it always believes and can compete with anyone. I just hope that we can win and make history once more against Arsenal."