Manchester United are closing in on appointing Ruben Amorim and it’s now been revealed how much it would cost to sign his star Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Erik ten Hag’s reign as Manchester United manager came to an end on Monday morning when Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham proved to be the final straw after a terrible start to the new campaign.
Results have not turned around after the galvanising FA Cup triumph in May and there has been little sign of improvement in performances.
Ten Hag didn’t help to alleviate the pressure mounting upon him in the summer transfer market, either, where he once again opted to sign players he had previously worked with at Ajax.
The former manager’s transfer strategy has come in for stiff criticism after the likes of Antony and Mason Mount have failed to live up to their price tags.
As a result, alarm bells might well ring if Ten Hag’s replacement, which will almost certainly be Ruben Amorim, looks to sign one of his former players for the club.
However, an exception might well be made for Viktor Gyokeres, who has been Amorim’s best player in Lisbon and is one of Europe’s most prolific strikers.
Details over the Swede’s release clause have now been revealed ahead of 2025.
Viktor Gyokeres release clause details and transfer fee
According to journalist Florian Plettenberg, there is a pricey release clause of €100m (£83m) in Gyokeres’ contract with the Lisbon giants.
However, it’s added that the player has an agreement with the club that he can leave for a fee in the region of €60m-€70m (£49m-£58m) in the summer of 2025.
Gyokeres isn’t expected to leave Sporting in January but a summer transfer is ‘very likely’, with Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City all reportedly interested.
Though United haven’t been strongly linked with Gyokeres, with Plettenberg reporting United are not in the race to sign him, yet the potential appointment of his manager could well change that.
Should Man United try and sign Viktor Gyokeres?
Gyokeres has had a unique journey to stardom as he actually joined Brighton in 2018 but, in a rare misstep from the Seagulls, he never really broke into their side.
The 26-year-old had loan stints at St. Pauli, Swansea and Coventry before making a permanent switch to the Midlands, where he began to realise his potential.
Lisbon then signed him for a significant fee in 2023 and he has gone from strength to strength in Portugal.
Gyokeres bagged a fantastic 43 goals in 50 games last term, as well as laying on 15 assists, which fired Sporting to the title. His form has continued this season, with 14 goals and four assists already to his name.
It’s no surprise that the Premier League’s biggest clubs are beginning to circle but should United be one of them?
The club has invested heavily on strikers in recent years, with over £100m being spent on Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.
In Hojlund, Amorim will have a striker of a similar profile to Gyokeres and one who has shown he has excellent finishing ability that he just needs to use consistently.
Spending so much on another striker may be ill-advised given spending is needed elsewhere but if Hojlund and Zirkzee don’t improve under the likely new manager this season then there might be grounds to sign another in 2025.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
