The future of Viktor Gyokeres at Sporting CP is turning out into an extremely ugly transfer saga. The Swede had all but expected to leave the club this summer for what he assumed to be a gentlemen’s agreement but the club are demanding a huge fee to let him go.
The ex-Coventry City number nine has been one of the best strikers in Europe in the last couple of seasons.
News – Journalist – Man Utd now ready to bid £34m to sign £43m player
Gyokeres finished the season for Sporting CP with 54 goals and 13 assists in 52 games across all competitions.
The 27-year-old is entering the prime years of his career and would want to move to a big club to continue what he has been doing.
Man Utd have been interested in Gyokeres for quite some time now and have also learnt in the past that a fee of £68million would help land the player.
As per The Sun, Liverpool were ready to make a move for the talented striker and Man Utd were handed a crushing blow in his pursuit as Gyokeres wanted to be involved in Champions League football at his next club.
Having finished 15th in the Premier League table in the recently concluded season and losing to Tottenham Hotspur in the finals of the Europa League, Man Utd did not have any European football to offer to Gyokeres. However, that has not stopped them from trying.
Now, as per today’s edition of The Daily Star [image attached at the end], Man Utd have been told that they can agree a deal less than Gyokeres’ release clause of £85m to sign him this summer but will have to pay more than the initially thought £68m.
Sporting president Varandas made it very clear that the club hold Gyokeres at a high pedestal and will charge accordingly to part ways this summer. He said:
“I saw Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, both forwards but who, in my opinion, do not have Viktor’s market value or quality, being negotiated for around €75m.”
Ideal fit but…
On a sporting front, Gyokeres would fit into this Man Utd team like a fish to water, considering he has spearheaded the attack in the same system back during his time at Sporting CP under Ruben Amorim. Everything points to a great deal.
However, Sporting CP, with whom Man Utd have done a lot of business with in the recent past have made it clear that they are not going to make it easy during negotiations. There is yet another issue of the player’s desire to play top level European football.
This is the kind of price that Man Utd need to pay for having had a disastrous 2024/25 season. The best players in the world want to play at the best clubs but also in the best competitions and the Champions League is arguably the biggest eye-candy out there.
However, if Gyokeres’ desire is to play for a Champions League club, Man Utd have not been one for two successive seasons now, and this would represent yet another opportunity that has been let slip due to their own frailties. It remains to be seen how this transfer saga plays out this summer.
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