Topics: Ruben Amorim, Manchester United, Premier League, Viktor Gyokeres, Arsenal, Sporting CP
Viktor Gyokeres has expressed his admiration for Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim in a newly published interview.
It has been a lengthy transfer saga, to say the least – but after months of speculation, it appears the Sweden international will leave Sporting CP, with Arsenal pushing to sign the prolific striker ahead of the new campaign.
At this moment in time, there is no club-to-club agreement, according to Sky Sports, but there is 'an apparent willingness from all parties to get a deal done' after the 27-year-old expressed his desire to join.
The news comes after Manchester United made an initial approach for the player through intermediaries.
Advert
As they continue their rebuild under Ruben Amorim, United are searching for a goalscorer this summer following a disappointing campaign that featured just 44 goals in 38 Premier League games.
But it appears Gyokeres will not be that man, even if he did openly praise his former coach in a recent interview with France Football magazine.
The former Brighton and Coventry City striker said he "couldn't thank Amorim" enough for how he helped transform his game.
"We won two championships in a row, for the first time in 71 years. It’s an incredible achievement, and of course, Ruben Amorim played a big role in that," he said. "I can’t thank him enough. The style of play we had under his orders suited me perfectly.”
Gyokeres also commented on Amorim's decision to join United in November, saying there was "no hard feelings" towards the Portuguese coach following his sudden departure from Sporting.
"It was a shock," he added. "It’s never happened to me to see a manager leave in the middle of the season when everything was going well. It was surprising, but I totally understand his decision.”
Gyokeres, meanwhile, is willing to make a pretty significant sacrifice to join Arsenal.
The Swede has accepted to give up €2 million from his salary in order to facilitate negotiations between Arsenal and Sporting, according to Fabrizio Romano, who claims Sporting are insisting on a higher fee compared to Arsenal's proposal.
A report from The Athletic on Tuesday claimed that former Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy was among several free agents offered to Manchester United alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Callum Wilson.
United were also said to be exploring the conditions of a potential deal for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.
Ekitike, who helped the Bundesliga side secure Champions League qualification after notching 22 goals and 13 assists last season, is currently one of the most sought-after strikers in world football.
