Viktor Gyokeres is the first name that comes to mind when discussing players who could potentially follow Ruben Amorim from Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United.
If he was not on the radar already, the former Coventry, Brighton and Swansea City striker certainly gave his reputation an almighty shot in the arm as Gyokeres plundered a hat-trick during Sporting’s obliteration of Manchester City in the Champions League.
But the free-scoring Swede is far from the only Sporting star who has been mentioned in conjunction with a move to Manchester United over the last few months.
Lisbon to Manchester is a path well-travelled – see Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Nani and now Amorim – and it could yet see a lot more use in the coming months or years.
Viktor Gyokeres to Manchester United rumours played down in Portugal
Powerhouse midfielder Morten Hjulmand had been linked with Man United long before Ruben Amorim got the gig. The same goes for the silky, left-sided central defender Goncalo Inacio.
Teen sensation Geovany Quenda has become a regular in the gossip columns since the 39-year-old’s arrival, meanwhile. Amorim did not rule out bringing Pedro ‘Pote’ Goncalves to Man United when asked about a man nicknamed Sporting’s so-called ‘new Bruno Fernandes’ last weekend.
And Sergio Krithinas, the executive director of Portuguese publication Record, feels that Gyokeres might actually be one of the Sporting stars least likely to follow in Amorim’s Old Trafford footsteps.
“I think Amorim would definitely like to have Gyokeres on his team, but I think Gyokeres is not very keen on Man United,” Krithinas explains on The Transfers Podcast.
“The only reason, from what I know, that Gyokeres would go to Man Utd would be because of Amorim. He loves Amorim, he knows how to get the best out of him, but Gyokeres isn’t very keen on Man United because all the top clubs in Europe are watching him.”
Morten Hjulmand and Geovany Quenda moves talked up
Krithinas, in contrast, can certainly envisage a scenario in which Goncalves, Quenda or Hjulmand end up swapping the green and white of Sporting for the blood red of Manchester United.
Quenda, a regular under Amorim at the age of just 17, has blossomed in that right-sided wing-back role. Only time will tell if anyone in Man United’s current roster – be it Amad Diallo, Alejandro Garnacho, Diogo Dalot or Noussair Mazraoui – can adapt quite so impressively to that position.
Hjulmand has been labelled a ‘younger version of Casemiro’, meanwhile. And though the Brazilian has been one of those revitalised since Erik ten Hag’s exit, Casemiro still looks likely to head out of the door after celebrating his 33rd birthday in the New Year.
“I would not be surprised if he is interested in a player like Pedro Goncalves, for instance,” Krithinas explains. “He keeps saying the best things about Pedro Goncalves.
“He likes him a lot. I think Geovany Quenda, he is a player with a lot of potential. Geovany Quenda is the kind of player Amorim would take, I think. He would like to have him.
“And then I think about even Morten Hjulmand. I can imagine Hjulmand being a player he would like to take. Maybe [winger Francisco] Trincao but he will probably have players like that at Manchester United.”
Hjulmand has a £69 million release clause in his Sporting contract. Goncalves would cost a similar fee.
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