Viktor Gyokeres is one of a number of Sporting CP players who could leave the Portuguese club in the wake of Ruben Amorim’s departure, with Arsenal likely to chase the former Coventry striker once again.
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O Jogo reports that Gyokeres’ is “dissatisfied” with the decision of the head coach to depart for Manchester United, with the door further thrown open to the possibility of a move with the news that Sporting are finally willing to relent on the player’s release clause.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had made the Sweden international his primary summer transfer target in the No.9 role but was ultimately put off by Sporting’s insistence that the Gunners would have to pay the player’s full €100 million release clause. Chelsea were also interested for a period.
Had the 26-year-old been pushing for a move, the life of the Portuguese side would have been made more complicated yet he was satisfied to remain in Lisbon to work with Amorim.
The news that the manager has electedt for Man Utd, then, has not been greeted kindly by Gyokeres or teammate Morten Hjulmand, who was also linked with the prospect of making an exciting move, according to O Jogo.
“Amorin’s departure has particularly left players with greater values such as Gyokeres and Hjulmand, who had offers to leave in the summer transfer window but who were ‘enticed’ to stay with Sporting due to the project and the continuity of Amorim, dissatisfied,” the report says.
© IMAGO - Ruben Amorim is leaving for Man Utd
Gyokeres only at Sporting because of Amorim
Amorim’s agent Hasan Cetinkaya, though, revealed in the summer that Gyokeres was only at Sporting because of Amorim in comments that throw open the possibility of a January deal.
When Amorim was being linked to Liverpool in the summer as a potential replacement for Jurgen Klopp, Cetinkaya admitted in an interview with A Bola: “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, I said to Ruben: ‘Here’s my boy, he came to Sporting because of you.’”
The day we met, I said to Ruben: ‘Here’s my boy, he came to Sporting because of you.’
- Gyokeres' agent Hasan Cetinkaya
He further added: “There were eight clubs very interested in Viktor last summer [2023].
“They all paid Coventry more than Sporting, they all paid Viktor more, they all paid a higher commission to the agent.
“And 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 at another level.”
Gyokeres and his agent, then, have already shown their cards to Sporting and Arsenal over his future, putting a January transfer very much on the table.
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