Are all the pieces falling into place regarding a potential move to Manchester United for this £83 million sensation?
One former Premier League stalwart certainly thinks so.
Jonas Olsson, a bonafide West Bromwich Albion legend who spent nearly a decade at the Hawthorns before his departure in 2017, can certainly envisage his fellow Swede banging in the goals in England’s top flight.
In the red of Manchester United, specifically. With goals already in relatively short supply – Man United scored thrice for the first time since May against Leicester City in the top-flight on Sunday – Viktor Gyokeres had been linked with a move to Old Trafford long before Ruben Amorim was confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s successor.
Now, with the man who helped turn Gyokeres into one of Europe’s most feared marksman touching down in the north west, will a private jet be returning to Lisbon to pick up another of Sporting’s Primeira Liga-winning heroes?
Viktor Gyokeres tipped for Ruben Amorim reunion at Manchester United
After watching Viktor Gyokeres fire a stunning hat-trick past Man City in the Champions League last week – talk about a parting gift for their beloved head coach – Olsson feels that there may yet be another chapter or two in the striker’s tale with Ruben Amorim.
“That [Man City treble] should make all the doubters stop doubting,” Olsson tells Goteborgs Posten. “The argument from the doubters has been that he only delivers in the Portuguese league.
“But, now, he has shown that he can deliver against the best opposition in the Champions League. So, he’s for real.
“As he has a buyout clause of around one billion Swedish krone [£83 million], only the biggest clubs can buy him. United are probably the obvious one, but Real Madrid also feels like an alternative.”
Of course, whether or not the Red Devils go for the former Coventry City talisman depends largely on whether Rasmus Hojlund adapts to life post-Ten Hag.
Hojlund has been tipped to become Man United’s own Viktor Gyokeres, given the similarities he shares with a striker who worked briefly under Dan Ashworth at Brighton and Hove Albion.
Yet, with only two goals in his last 12 games and with Hojlund ineffective against Leicester, the jury remains out even if the Dane is still a centre-forward relatively starved of service.
Amorim could target Pedro ‘Pote’ Goncalves at Man United
Amorim, speaking ahead of Sporting’s 4-2 comeback win over Nacional in his farewell appearance over the weekend, insists that there are no plans to raid his old employers during the January transfer window.
However, he cannot rule out Man United targeting some of the Estadio Jose Alvalade’s brightest talents from February onwards, Amorim opening the door for Pedro ‘Pote’ Goncalves to join him at Old Trafford as well as Gyokeres.
“Pote has to focus on Sporting. Signings are not made because [I have already worked with] this or that player. It has to do with the team’s needs and style of play,” Amorim explains during his press conference.
“All of that counts. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“Pote can play for any team in the world with any coach in the world because he is a great player. He is not the most eye-catching player, but I repeat what I said [earlier in the year]; I could take Pote anywhere.”
Man United have also been linked with Sporting enforcer Morten Hjulmand, the tough-tackling Dane labelled a ‘younger version of Casemiro’.
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