Viktor Gyokeres to Man United latest: Transfer release clause, Sporting CP stance, Amorim role

Viktor Gyokeres continues to be the name on everyone's lips and Manchester United could have an advantage over a potential transfer - thanks to Ruben Amorim.

The 26-year-old who completed the move to Sporting Clube de Portugal because of Amorim, is now heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford. Despite dismissing the idea, stating the Portuguese manager "probably already has a number of strikers" at United, Gyokeres ended his answer with a simple: "we'll see".

Amorim, meanwhile, has admitted he will not be disrupting his old team in the January transfer window out of respect but has not ruled out doing so in the summer. Although Gyokeres is understood to have a €100million (£83m) release clause, reports claim there is an agreement he could depart next summer for a fee of around €60-70m (£50-58m).

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With that in mind, the Manchester Evening News takes a look at the latest surrounding Gyokeres.

Life in Lisbon

The Sweden international has taken the Liga Portugal by storm since joining from Coventry City in the summer of 2023. In 68 appearances to date, Gyokeres has scored 66 goals and contributed with 19 assists.

In his debut season, he scored 29 goals in 33 league games. He is tipped to surpass that record having scored 16 goals in only 11 league outings so far this campaign.

Other clubs linked with Gyokeres

It's no surprise he has caught the eye of some of the biggest European clubs, with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain known to be admirers of the Swede.

A move to Old Trafford is also mooted after Amorim's arrival at United.

Sporting CP transfer stance

Former Southampton centre-back Jose Fonte believes his former team may be forced to sell Gyokeres in the near future due to not having the 'funds' to hold on to players for a long period of time. "Portuguese clubs have got no option but to sell for the right price," he said.

"We need to sell. Portuguese clubs have to sell one or two players every season. 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."

Fonte also commented on the efforts being made within the federations to try and retain talent locally: "That's what people in the various federations are trying to do," he added. "Sporting will listen and they will probably have to sell Viktor Gyokeres because Portuguese clubs have to raise big money every year."

Amorim could be key in potential transfer

It is public knowledge that the Portuguese manager was the main reason Gyokeres joined Sporting, as his agent Hasan Cetinkaya later confirmed.

"Everyone paid more to Viktor, everyone paid a higher commission to the agent. What happened? I brought him to Sporting because of Ruben Amorim, because I know his work and his work with the players. I chose Ruben because he is a coach of another level.

"And, yes, it will be more difficult for Viktor to stay if Ruben Amorim leaves Sporting because Viktor came precisely because of Ruben. The day we met, we told Ruben: 'here's my boy, he came to Sporting because of you.'"

Gyokeres' transfer stance

He said: "It's not something I'm thinking about. I want to finish the season at Sporting, I'm enjoying playing there. I'm in no rush to make a change in the future. We'll see when the time comes for that."

Regarding the future, Gyokeres knows that he wants to go to a club where he can play the main role. "The most important thing is to have an important role in the team and be able to play," he added. "There are other factors that may play a role, but I will look at that when the time comes."

Atletico de Madrid 'profile'

Meanwhile, his former teammate Adan believes his characteristics would best fit in La Liga. He said: "Real Madrid or Atletico? I think maybe he has more of an Atletico de Madrid profile.

"Physically, he's a beast. Potentially, he's an animal, and in front of goal, he's a killer. It seemed like there was no way he could repeat what he did last year, and there's this amount of goals. Plus, this year, with the protagonism of doing so in the Champions League."

Haaland comparison

"Well, I think he has that profile," Adan added. "It's true that he's a little shorter, but in terms of strength, determination in the box, he has that killer instinct of scoring a lot of goals. He shows spectacular competitiveness every day in training."