Coach 'losing sleep' over Arsenal and Chelsea interest in €100m striker

Tom Weber

• Updated: 21 Dec 2023 15:01 GMT
• 3 min read

Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim is very concerned about losing star striker Viktor Gyokeres in January, according to Portuguese media.

The Swede has been tearing it up in Portugal since joining from Coventry in the summer. A former Brighton man, Gyokeres appears well-suited to Premier League football, thanks to his mobility and physicality.

Having notched a spectacular 17 goals and eight assists in just 20 games so far this term, the 25-year-old is attracting attention throughout Europe, particularly in England, where many will feel that he is one that got away in the summer, given that he only cost Sporting a paltry €20 million.

Nowadays, Gyokeres boasts a €100m release clause, making an exit to anywhere but the Premier League unlikely. Though there are suggestions that he could be just another Darwin Nunez, given that he is already 25 and has little more room to grow, according to data experts SciSports, some desperate Premier League giants could nevertheless be tempted into paying up in the winter.

Amorim losing sleep

Indeed, Arsenal and Chelsea, both of whom are scrambling to add a prolific striker in January, have been heavily linked with Gyokeres. Thus far, nothing concrete has materialised, but it is claimed that neither side would be afraid of matching his steep release clause.

In fact, Portuguese outlet Correio da Manha is even, exaggeratedly, claiming that Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim is 'losing sleep' because of the high-profile interest in his star striker.

The two London rivals have also been linked with the likes of Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen, while the Gunners also remain very keen on Dusan Vlahovic. Arsenal would be prepared to sacrifice Eddie Nketiah in January to fund a move for a big-name forward, but their hefty asking price is likely to scare any interested suitors off.