Manchester United have received a major boost in their pursuit of Sporting CP attacking ace Viktor Gyokeres.
According to a report from Daily Mirror, Manchester United could end up acquiring the services of Viktor Gyokeres next summer. The Red Devils are keen on his signature, and they have received a massive boost in the race to his signature as Sporting CP will have no option but to sell their star striker at the end of the season.
It has already been a week since Amorim officially took charge of the Manchester-based club following his move from Sporting CP. While he has promised to not knock on the doors of his former club during the winter window to sign their best players, Manchester United have been heavily linked with Gyokeres, and they will most likely try to sign him ahead of next season.
Ideally, the Portuguese club won’t want to lose out on the start-forward, who has scored 66 goals in his 68 outings for them. But, according to ex-Premier League star Jose Fonte, they do not have the luxury to keep hold of the Swedish international.
There is a massive difference in the revenue of English and Portuguese clubs. Clubs like Sporting CP keep producing and grooming some of the best talents, but they cannot keep hold of them as they need to sell in order to balance their books.
While speaking on JeffBet, the former Portuguese international said, “We don’t have the same TV rights as the Premier League so we don’t have the capacity to hold on to players. It would be lovely to see Portugal with a little bit more capacity to hold on to their talent, of course.
“That’s what people in the various federations are trying to do. Sporting will listen and they will probably have to sell Viktor Gyokeres because Portuguese clubs have to raise big money every year.”
Viktor Gyokeres has scored 23 goals in his 18 outings this season. He has carried on from where he had left last term. The Swede’s contract at Sporting CP runs until the summer of 2028, and he is protected by a massive £85.3 million release clause.
But, the Portuguese giants will listen to offers for his services next summer and they will most likely agree to a fee of around £70 million. While the Red Devils cannot make a move for him in the winter and will have to watch from the sidelines as other clubs try to lure him during the January transfer window, they can surely try their luck in the summer.
Given the kind of bond Amorim and Gyokeres share, it won’t be a surprise if he ends up staying at Sporting for the remainder of the season and then pushes to move to Old Trafford. While Manchester United have invested in two young strikers in recent window, the 39-year-old could still look to sign the Swedish international as he is well aware of what needs to be done to succeed in his system.
