Manchester United

Manchester United

Premier League • England

Gyokeres to Man Utd is ON as Amorim is told why Sporting CP have ‘no option’ but to sell star

Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, next Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim

Amorim and Gyokeres are both on course for the Premier League

Manchester United have been lifted in their bid to reunite Ruben Amorim with Viktor Gyokeres after a former Premier League defender revealed Sporting Lisbon will be forced into his sale – while a player turfed out by Erik ten Hag is being tipped to get a second chance at Old Trafford under the new boss.

The Red Devils have been heavily linked with a move to bring Gyokeres to Old Trafford as part of the rebuilding process at Manchester United. Despite spending an estimated £616m ($737m, $777.6m) on new players during the Ten Hag era, the club has started the new season poorly and Amorim inherits a side which currently sits a lowly 13th in the Premier League and 15th in the 36-team strong Europa League table.

One of the major issues that cost Ten Hag his job was the side’s inability to score goals. Last season, they completed the Premier League season with just 57 goals from their 38 games – only five better than relegated Luton – while this time around they have netted just 12 times in 11 games.£83.5m

Clearly that output needs to improve if they are to climb the table and little wonder that Amorim is already being linked with a move to bring his former Sporting CP charge Gyokeres with him to Old Trafford.

And while such a deal will not come cheap, even despite claims Sporting would be willing to sell for less than his €100m (£83.5m, $105.4m) exit clause, United’s hopes of landing the super Swede have been lifted after former Premier League star Jose Fonte claimed they will have no choice but to sell.

“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,” Fonte is quoted as telling the Daily Mirror.

Fonte, now 40 and still going strong with Primeira Liga side Casa Pia, added: “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.”

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What has Gyokeres and Amorim said on striker links to Man Utd?

Gyokeres has been quizzed on the prospect of a move to the Premier League giants while on international duty with Sweden this week, but the 26-year-old star has been quick to play down the speculation.

“He probably has some strikers there already, so we’ll see,” Gyokeres told Fotbollskanalen.

“It’s not something I think about. Of course, you want to play out the season at Sporting and I enjoy myself there, so there is no stress for me to make a move in the future. We’ll see when the time comes.”

The 25-times capped striker, though, admits Amorim has played a huge role in his development as a player, adding: “It is very sad that he is leaving, but of course we understand his decision.

“He has obviously meant a lot considering that he gave me that chance and that he made me develop so much. Now we look forward to working with the new coach.”

Amorim has recently cooled claims that a reunion could be on the cards in Manchester, with the new United boss insisting he will not wreck his relationship with Sporting by signing their best players in January.

“If I start joking about this Gyokeres situation I’ll get in trouble,” Amorim told Portuguese outlet A Bola shortly before the 39-year-old departed from the Jose Alvalade Stadium.

“This is my city, this is my country, so I’ll respect it. Viktor has to stay until the end of the season and then his life will probably go somewhere else.”

Sporting president Frederico Vandaras also admits the chances of a summer departure are possible.

“I can’t promise anything. If a club arrives and pays the release clause, if he (Gyokeres) wants to go, he will go,” Varandas said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano. “But I do not think this will happen in January.”

Gyokeres himself has also denied being asked by Amorim to reunite in Manchester.

“No. It’s fun but not something I attach any importance to because it’s talk and nothing concrete,” he confirmed.

Man Utd news: Amorim tipped to bring Sancho back / new boss ‘loves’ two stars

Meanwhile, Fonte believes Jadon Sancho is the sort of player Amorim would love to work with and believes the winger, currently on loan with Premier League rivals Chelsea, could be handed a fresh chance to shine at Old Trafford.

“Jadon Sancho will get a chance to impress Ruben Amorim in the summer because it’s a fresh start and a new opportunity for everyone,” Fonte added. “Something might click between him and Amorim because he knows exactly what he wants from his players in every area of the pitch.

“He also likes to give the 10s the freedom to be creative and that’s exactly what Sancho needs. It could be a great opportunity for him.”

Elsewhere, Romano has revealed that Amorim plans to build his Man Utd side around Leny Yoro and Kobbie Mainoo – two players the new boss will “love” and with a new contract planned for the latter.

Mainoo is now in his second season as a United regular and the teenager looks poised to land a giant pay rise.

And finally, reports in Italy claim Amorim is ready to sanction the double sale of two United stars Harry Maguire and Joshua Zirkzee – both to the same Serie A side.

IN FOCUS: How Gyokeres thrived under Amorim

Gyokeres 68 games 66 goals
Gyokeres’ stats under Amorim for Sporting

They only worked together for 16 months, but it was a transformative collaboration between Amorim and Gyokeres in Lisbon.

Gyokeres was already a prominent Championship-level striker with Coventry. It was obvious he was too good for the second tier – but it turns out he’s even better than people thought back then.

Gyokeres scored 66 goals from 68 games under Amorim’s guidance. It means Amorim is the coach he has scored the most goals for in his career, surpassing Mark Robins.

In fact, Gyokeres had scored as many goals under Amorim as his former Coventry boss (43) by the end of his debut season in Lisbon.

Those 43 goals under Robins came over 116 appearances, which emphasises the astonishing rate Gyokeres has scored under Amorim.

Not to mention he has also made more assists under Amorim (23) than any other coach (Robins again being the runner-up with 17).

Amorim certainly unlocked Gyokeres’ potential to reach the next level on the European stage and the striker can only hope to continue in a similar vein under a different coach – unless they do reunite one day.