Burkina Faso
Czech Republic
Indonesia
Lithuania
Montenegro
Nigeria
North Macedonia

Manchester United's Viktor Gyokeres transfer boost as Ruben Amorim could link up with Sporting Lisbon striker

sportsmole.co.uk, 18 November 2024, 00:33
Manchester United have received a boost in their reported pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres after Jose Fonte said that Sporting Lisbon may be forced to offload the striker due to financial constraints.

Ruben Amorim officially started work as the Red Devils' new manager on November 11 after leaving Sporting and taking charge at Old Trafford following the dismissal of Erik ten Hag.

The club are 13th in the Premier League with just 15 points from 11 matchweeks, but the new boss will be pleased by the fact his side are only four points from third-placed Chelsea.

Amorim will have to work with the current squad until at least January, but this has not stopped fans and pundits from speculating about who the Portuguese might bring to Manchester.

One name frequently linked to the club has been Sporting's Gyokeres, and former Premier League and current Primeira Liga defender Jose Fonte claims that the Swedish striker will inevitably leave Portugal, saying: "Portuguese clubs have got no option but to sell for the right price.

"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."

Gyokeres and Amorim assessed

The 26-year-old has quite simply been sensational during his time in Portugal, scoring 29 goals and producing 10 assists in 33 league appearances in his debut season for Sporting last term.

This campaign, Gyokeres has already netted 26 times for club and country, including a hat-trick against Manchester City in a 4-1 rout of the English side in the Champions League on November 5.

The striker is able to compete physically with the strongest defenders, is quick enough to dart in behind opposition backlines and is able to link play very effectively.

Players such as Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo could thrive alongside Gyokeres given he would provide them with a focal point to play towards and would also allow them to play dangerous passes into the penalty area.

Having previously worked under Amorim, the transition to England could be smoother than if the striker were to transfer to another top side, and he would certainly make the Red Devils a more threatening prospect considering they have only scored 12 goals in 11 top flight games.

Issues with Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford?

While Gyokeres would add considerably to United's frontline, it may be hard to justify such a significant outlay in light of the expenditure on other forwards such as Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, who signed for the club for a combined fee of roughly £108m.

The two strikers have struggled at Old Trafford, scoring just 12 goals between them in their combined 48 Premier League appearances.

It is perhaps unfair to write the duo off given both are still young, but it is hard to see how either would get enough minutes to reach their full potential should United sign Gyokeres.

Additionally, there have been suggestions that Marcus Rashford could be used as a striker in Amorim's system, but it remains to be seen whether Rashford would be able to play in a more supportive role next to the Swedish number nine.

However, Amorim will no doubt want to work with the players already at Old Trafford before deciding whether he needs to bring someone such as Gyokeres to the club, regardless of the forward's obvious quality.

Show more

Top News

18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Luka Modric has reportedly decided whether he intends to remain at Real Madrid past the end of the season. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Leicester player Hamza Choudhury was mobbed by fans after arriving for his first senior international call-up. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea winger Mykhaylo Mudryk is allegedly the subject of surprise interest from a Bundesliga club. 18 March 2025 talksport.com A brand-new competition will be taking place this summer, with some of the world's biggest clubs eyeing glory in the USA. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Ola Aina had a hilarious response to discovering he would be sharing a bed with Alex Iwobi on international duty. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Arsenal have added Carabao Cup winning Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes to their list of summer transfer targets, talkSPORT understands. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Vying for a place in the UEFA Nations League's top tier, Scotland and Greece will meet for the first leg of their promotion/relegation playoff on Thursday. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Troy Deeney has reiterated his belief that Mohamed Salah is 'not world class' after his Wembley woes. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Papiss Cisse has been convinced to come out of retirement at the age of 39 by a former Newcastle teammate. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams at opposite ends of Group C in the third round of AFC World Cup qualifiers will clash on Thursday as leaders Japan face Bahrain. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Danny Drinkwater was once given just an hour to leave Chelsea and led to a bust-up with the manager. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have no hope of clawing back their 12-point Premier League deficit to Liverpool despite the Reds' recent problems, Gunners expert Charles Watts believes. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United and Bayern Munich are reportedly among the clubs who have discovered the asking price of RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are one of three Premier League clubs who could reportedly pip rivals Manchester United and Chelsea to the signing of Sporting Lisbon's in-demand striker Viktor Gyokeres this summer. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Brazil and Colombia go head-to-head in the 38th instalment of this international fixture in Brasilia on Thursday night. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk There will be no return to the Brazil fold for Neymar in their clash with Colombia on Thursday night, as he has pulled out of the upcoming squad with injury. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona have all reportedly suffered a major blow in their pursuit of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak ahead of the summer transfer window. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Thomas Tuchel not only raised eyebrows with his selections in his first England squad - but also with his omissions. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Paris Saint-Germain have been given the green light to reschedule a Ligue 1 fixture that could give them the edge against Aston Villa in the Champions League. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany believes that Jack Grealish "has to accept responsibility" and may need to "win the trust" of both Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel if he wishes to get his career back on track for club and country. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Italy and Germany will continue their long-standing footballing rivalry when they meet in a two-legged quarter-final in the UEFA Nations League this week, starting with a showdown in Milan on Thursday. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa are reportedly prepared to cash in on midfielder Enzo Barrenechea during the summer transfer window. 18 March 2025 talksport.com There will be no Premier League football this weekend as the top-flight pauses for a scheduled mid-March break. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal intend to begin formal discussions with Bukayo Saka over a new contract ahead of his comeback from a long-term hamstring injury, according to a report. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Abdukodir Khusanov was welcomed home in style as he received a £135,000 Mercedes upon returning to Uzbekistan for international duty. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Nottingham Forest are reportedly ready to fend off Liverpool if they express an interest in one of their star players. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Kosovo will host Iceland at the Stadiumi Fadil Vokrri on Thursday evening in the first of their two-legged matchup in the UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation playoffs. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Next season The Premier League will be provided match balls by Puma, a decision that is likely to be an unpopular one with Mikel Arteta. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly prepared to let one of their first-team midfielders leave the club in the summer transfer window. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Hong Kong and Macao return to international action for the first time in 2025 on Wednesday, when they meet in a friendly at Mong Kok Stadium.