After his remarkable hat-trick played a key role in Sporting CP’s decisive 4-0 victory over Manchester City, Viktor Gyokeres has become the center of attention. Ruben Amorim, Sporting’s manager, led this successful Champions League performance, marking a stark contrast to City’s last visit to Lisbon in 2022, when they defeated Sporting 5-0.
This time, the tables turned entirely, with Gyokeres at the forefront, while on the same evening, his former team Coventry City faced a 2-0 defeat to Cardiff.
Gyokeres joined Sporting in a 2023 deal worth around £20 million after attracting Amorim’s interest through an impressive record of 43 goals across 116 appearances for Coventry. His agent even noted that it was Amorim’s influence that led to Gyokeres joining Sporting.
Now, with his standout performance against Manchester City, many are speculating that he could be a potential future target for Manchester United, given Amorim’s imminent move there as manager.
Despite the swirling speculation, both Gyokeres and Amorim have been quick to quash rumors of an immediate transfer. Gyokeres stated he has no plans to join Amorim in Manchester, and Amorim himself recently reiterated that he has no intention of signing Sporting players in January. With a significant release clause of £83.9 million, Gyokeres would indeed come at a high price, making any January move complex and costly.
For United, pursuing Gyokeres would also raise challenges related to his value. Notably, Coventry City, who originally signed him from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2021 for a modest £1 million, included a sell-on clause in his Sporting contract.
This clause means Coventry would receive a percentage of any future sale: 15 percent initially, dropping to 10 percent if certain performance milestones are reached. Given these factors, Sporting is likely to hold out for a higher transfer fee to maximize their profit, especially since Coventry stands to benefit from any substantial sale of Gyokeres.
This situation adds layers of complexity to any potential transfer, but given Gyokeres’ rise and recent performances under Amorim, many are watching closely to see if his journey will ultimately lead him to the Premier League alongside his current manager.
For now, Sporting seems focused on holding onto their star striker while benefiting from his contributions, and Gyokeres remains an essential part of Amorim’s lineup.
