£65m transfer battle looms… and it will be music to the ears of Coventry City
Viktor Gyokeres has emerged as a top summer target for Manchester United but they could face competition from bitter rivals Manchester City for the Sporting Lisbon striker
New Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is set to go head-to-head with a good friend at Manchester City for the signature of Sporting Lisbon’s £65million-rated striker Viktor Gyokeres.
The 26-year-old Swedish international is Amorim’s top target for next summer, but City’s incoming sporting director Hugo Viana is also hot on Gyokeres’ heels – and Coventry City will be hoping to make hay if the two Premier League giants get into a bidding war for their former player.
Viana, who will take over from Txiki Begiristain at the end of the season, was instrumental in Sporting’s £20m acquisition of Gyokeres from the Sky Blues 18 months ago. The forward, who has had stints at Brighton and Swansea, recently showcased his scoring prowess by netting a hat-trick against City in a 4-1 Champions League victory.
Both Amorim and Viana share a close bond with the player. And recognising a lack of goals in the Old Trafford squad he inherited from Erik ten Hag, Amorim is hoping the prospect of being United’s leading striker will prove irresistible to the Swede.
Amorim has made it clear that he wants significant input on player recruitment at United. Despite having Dan Ashworth as sporting director and Jason Wilcox as technical director at Old Trafford, Amorim believes the final say on signings should rest with him, reports the Mirror.
It is for that reason that he is so keen on Gyokeres, one of the most in-demand players in Europe due to his stunning goalscoring form with Sporting since leaving the Sky Blues 18 months ago.
Having bagged 41 in 52 games in all competitions in his first season in Portugal, Gyokeres has already netted 24 times in 19 outings this term – including that hat-trick against City.
Amid the United interest, City are said to be eyeing new attacking talent regardless of having Erling Haaland, who has won the Golden Boot twice. They didn’t find a direct replacement for Julian Alvarez after his transfer to Atletico Madrid for £80m last summer.
Interest in Gyokeres is high, with Arsenal also said to be keen on a deal, but the player wants assurances he wouldn’t just be a secondary option to Haaland if he were to join City – a necessary condition for the team to outdo competitors vying for his commitment.
Coventry have so far secured a £20m fee for Gyokeres, who scored 40 goals in 97 appearances for the Sky Blues, but they also stand to profit from his next transfer.
Coventry are expected to receive 10 percent of any profit on that £20m when Sporting sell. Gyokeres has a €100m (£84m) release clause, meaning Coventry will bank an extra £6.4m if it’s triggered. And although the reported fee has dropped in recent weeks, a bidding war is likely to play in Sporting’s hands and so boost the Sky Blues’ cut.
Leave a Reply