Viktor Gyokeres preference clear as Man Utd and Arsenal bid to resolve saga
Viktor Gyokeres is wanted by Manchester United and Arsenal, after scoring 102 goals in 97 games for Sporting Lisbon, with a move to the Premier League on the cards this summer
Ruben Amorim knew it was only a matter of time before Viktor Gyokeres took the next step in his career and moved on to bigger and better things.
When he was leaving Sporting Lisbon to take over at Manchester United back in November, Amorim was asked if he intended to take prolific goalscorer Gyokeres with him.
'If I start joking about this Gyokeres situation, I'll get in trouble,' said Amorim. 'This is my city, this is my country, so I'll respect it. Viktor has to stay until the end of the season and then his life will probably go somewhere else.'
Having seen out last season with Sporting where he plundered a phenomenal haul of 54 goals in 52 games in all competitions, Gyokeres is now ready to move on.
Gyokeres is good friends with fellow goal machine, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, and could soon be rivalling him – and Liverpool's Mo Salah – for the crown of the Premier League's top scorer.
United is the logical destination for him, where he would be reunited with former boss Amorim, but Arsenal are also determined to land the 27-year-old Sweden star.
Gyokeres has enjoyed a meteoric rise, from being let go by Brighton, to a spell at Coventry, then to Sporting and now on the brink of a mega-money move to the Premier League.
It was at Coventry where Gyokeres first came up with his unique goal celebration, one which sees him cross both hands over his mouth, to form a mask.
Debate has raged over the meaning of the celebration, with former Coventry team-mate Josh Eccles suggesting it is a nod to the character Hannibal Lecter in the film Silence of the Lambs. "He [Hannibal Lecter] eats people and Viktor destroys defences," said Eccles.
Others believe the celebration was inspired by the masked villain Bane, from the Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises. What is certain is that Gyokeres has been feasting on defences in Portugal and all over Europe since joining Sporting and has proved as deadly as Bane and Hannibal Lecter.
A remarkable haul of 97 goals from 102 appearances in two seasons at Sporting has seen Gyokeres become a target for United and Arsenal, who will go head-to-head for him.
Gyokeres served notice of his ability to terrorise Premier League sides in the Champions League last season, with a stunning hat-trick in a 4-1 win for Sporting over Pep Guardiola's City.
As well as averaging more than one goal a game last season, Gyokeres has also scored nine in just six appearances for Sweden, underlining his ability to score at any level.
Those who know Gyokeres well and have worked with him speak of a player with a relentless work ethic, strong mentality, laser focus and a fierce desire to win.
Having just turned 27, Gyokeres is hitting the peak years of his career, which is why United and Arsenal – both crying out for a proven and prolific goalscorer – want to land him.
Having agreed last summer to give Sporting one more season, Gyokeres insists he struck a gentleman's agreement with the club, allowing him to leave for a certain price. Sporting president Frederico Varandas has denied this and is adamant Gyokeres will not be allowed to leave for lower than his release clause of £85million.
Reports from Lisbon suggest Gyokeres is willing to go on strike to get the move he wants, a move dismissed by Varandas and the Sporting hierarchy. What seems likely is that the future of Gyokeres will be a protracted saga over the summer, unless United or Arsenal are willing to meet Sporting's valuation.
On the evidence of his phenomenal form of the last two seasons, Gyokeres would appear to be worth it.
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