Viktor Gyokeres has gentleman’s agreement with Sporting that could see him join Man Utd in bargain transfer
VIKTOR GYOKERES could be up for grabs for around £63million in the summer – putting Manchester United on red alert.
Sporting Lisbon’s Swedish forward enhanced his reputation with a hat-trick against City on Tuesday night.
He has a release clause in his deal at the José Alvalade Stadium which is set at around £84m and expires in 2028.
However the former Coventry man is believed to have a gentleman’s agreement with the Portuguese club that will allow him to go for much less if he sees the season out with them.
Sporting would look for around £67m but could accept as little as £63m.
And that is likely to interest a host of Prem giants – including United, Arsenal and Chelsea.
His outgoing boss Ruben Amorim ruled out taking him with him to United in January – but said he does expect the forward to look for a new challenge in the summer.
He said: “I’ve just made peace with the Sporting fans so I’m not even going to make a joke about it.
“Gyokeres is a Sporting player and it’s is a great club, he did a lot for the club. He just has to stay and finish the season at the club.”
After scoring 66 goals in 67 appearances he is certain to be in demand and there is already interest from Saudi Arabia.
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Ruben Amorim is ‘Mourinho 2.0’ who turned Sporting from ‘walking dead’ into Portuguese champs… he can revive Man Utd
WHEN Ruben Amorim took charge of Sporting Lisbon in March 2020, one club official compared their situation to the “walking dead”, writes Jordan Davies.
Optimism and hope was at an all-time low.
But the Amorim-effect was almost instantaneous, guiding the Portuguese sleeping giants to their first league title for 19 years in 2020/21, losing just once and only conceding 20 goals.
Since then, Sporting have lifted another league title in 2023/24 – as well as two League Cups – and currently sit top with nine wins from nine this term.
He may be young, but Amorim already has an eye for rebuilding and revitalising fallen super powers with his infectious charisma and intense tactical philosophy that hardly ever wavers.
The “walking dead” at Manchester United must be praying for a similar sort of revival.
And they may just get it from one of the most talented young coaches on the continent – a man accustomed to breathing new life back into crumbling institutions such as Old Trafford.
Amorim has spent the last decade dreaming of one day gracing England’s Premier League, such was his admiration for an ex-United boss in Jose Mourinho growing up.
Often nicknamed ‘Mourinho 2.0’, Amorim spent a week with his coaching idol in an internship capacity at United’s Carrington training base in 2018, going on to cite him as his “reference point”.
United should not be expecting a mini-Mourinho, as Amorim said himself: “Mourinho is one of a kind. There won’t be another Mourinho. Mourinho is unique.”
And yet, you cannot help but compare the two.
For all the mismanagement in the Old Trafford hot seats over the years, this would be a real get – finally a slap in the face United’s Prem rivals have no answer for.
But United are likely to be in the market for a number nine after struggling for goals during the opening months of this season.
Gyokeres admitted it is a blow for his current club to be losing Amorim.
He said: “We will miss him a lot. We’ve done amazing things together.
“We have to look forward and attack the next challenge ahead of us.”