Sporting send message to Manchester United and Arsenal over Viktor Gyokeres transfer in January
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Sporting assistant boss Tiago Teixeira has played down speculation linking Viktor Gyokeres with a big-money January move, insisting the striker remains ‘very happy’ at the club.
Gyokeres, 26, is regarded as one of the most sought-after attacking players in European football thanks to his extraordinary goalscoring exploits at Sporting over the last two seasons, in which he has found the back of the net 66 times in 68 games.
The likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have all been credited with a strong interest in recent months, despite Gyokeres’ eye-watering £83million release clause in Lisbon.
However, widespread reports suggest the free-scoring Sweden international could be available for a fee of just £63m at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
Ruben Amorim’s recent departure from Sporting to take charge of Manchester United has only fuelled rumours that Gyokeres could follow suit with a transfer to Old Trafford before too long.
But the Portuguese champions are in no hurry to cash in on Gyokeres and remain confident of keeping hold of their prized possession beyond the January transfer window.
‘We are prepared to welcome him today to train for the first time and we are very happy to have him here,’ Sporting assistant Teixeira told Portuguese media when asked about a potential move for Gyokeres this winter.
‘He is also very happy with the season he is having representing Sporting and his national team.
‘He is very happy to be here.
‘What we want is to have him for as long as possible.’
Gyokeres has been keen not to be drawn into the incessant speculation over his future this term and distanced himself from talk that he could follow in Amorim’s footsteps in January.
Going with Amorim to Manchester United? I don't know,' he replied when pressed on the possibility of joining Amorim following his man-of-the-match display against Estrela at the start of the month.
'I'm here. As you can see, I enjoy it at Sporting.
'It's nothing I really think about. I'm sad about him [Amorim] leaving. We wish him all the best.'
Barcelona had been among the teams linked to Gyokeres but the club’s sporting director, Deco, poured cold water on these rumours last week.
Deco told Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo: 'He is a good player, he has been scoring goals for a long time in Portugal.
'We know him like others but he is not a priority at the moment and we looking for a No.9 to replace Robert [Lewandowski] because we want him to remain happy, scoring goals and at least stay for another season.
'We have won things and he is happy to be here. We are not going to talk about any player now.'
