Amorim CONFIRMS Gyokeres January transfer plan

Robin Bairner

Updated: 6 Nov 2024 02:26 CST
4 min read

Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres celebrates completing his Champions League hat-trick against Manchester City — © IMAGO

Incoming Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has revealed what the future holds for striker Viktor Gyokeres in January following his stunning hat-trick against Manchester City.

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Gyokeres grabbed three of Sporting CP’s goals as they defeated Pep Guardiola’s side 4-1 in Lisbon to build hype around a potential move in the weeks ahead.

A string of Premier League clubs have shown interest this year in the 26-year-old striker, and while they were reticent to make a bid that matches Sporting’s €100 million release clause in the summer, 23 goals in 17 games may have changed minds.

STATS

Viktor Gyökeres

F (C)

Sporting CP

Viktor Gyökeres

F (C)

Sporting CP

17

Games
23

Goals
8

Assists

Arsenal and Chelsea have been long-time admirers, while Man Utd will inevitably come into the picture due to Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford.

For Amorim, though, the key thing is showing loyalty to Sporting as he said there would be no January move for Gyokeres.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the Sweden star had just completed his hat-trick, he explained: “I be funny with that [Gyokeres] at this moment. It was tough for me to leave. If I joke about that, I have problems.

“Viktor has to stay until the end of the season and then his life is going… maybe… somewhere else.”

"If I joke about that [signing Viktor Gyökeres for Man Utd], I have a problem. This is my city, this is my country... I will respect it."

Rúben Amorim with a great show of respect to Sporting as a club and the city of Lisbon...

🎙 @Becky_Ives_ pic.twitter.com/l2PJbMZCWi
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 5, 2024

Man Utd’s top transfer priority?

Gyokeres has been tipped to potentially follow Amorim to Man Utd by Rio Ferdinand, who was full of praise for the striker after Tuesday’s clash.

Speaking to TNT Sports, he said: “The recruitment teams in all the teams in the Premier League must be scratching their heads and thinking: ‘How did we let him get away?’

“He’s not had a conventional route. He’s had to build himself and create what he is now. He was blowing players away.

“Managers when they leave clubs, there’s always one or two players who they feel: ‘I’ve got to take him. That guy knows how I play. Everyone can feel off of him.’

“Who is that guy going to be if he’s going to take someone from Sporting Lisbon? After the way Gyokeres has been playing in the last few weeks, is he going to be the number one target?”