Sporting Lisbon assistant coach Tiago Teixeira has seemingly poured cold water on the possibility of Viktor Gyokeres sealing a January switch to Manchester United.
Gyokeres is currently one of, if not the deadliest striker in Europe and as a result, there are a number of clubs chasing his signature.
So far this season, he has plundered a mind-boggling 16 goals in 11 Liga Portugal appearances. Across all competitions, Gyokeres has notched 23 goals and four assists in 18 matches.
He has transferred his club form to the international stage, where he is equally prolific with Sweden.
On Tuesday, the 26-year-old netted four goals in a 6-0 rout of Azerbaijan. In doing so, Gyokeres overtook Manchester City’s Erling Haaland to become the top scorer in the Nations League. He went into the match vs. Azerbaijan with five goals to his name and now sits with nine, two ahead of Haaland’s seven.
Unsurprisingly, Ruben Amorim’s appointment as United head coach from Sporting has led to increased chatter regarding the prospect of Gyokeres following him to Old Trafford.
A recent report covered by The Peoples Person claimed that Amorim wants United to reunite him with Gyokeres during the winter transfer window.
The talisman is protected by a release clause worth £83million although it’s believed he will be allowed to depart Estádio José Alvalade for a lot less than that.
However, according to Teixeira [via Metro], Sporting are in no rush to part ways with Gyokeres despite the high demand for his services. He hinted that the club are confident of keeping the player beyond January.
When asked about a potential exit for Gyokeres in January, Teixeira replied, “We are prepared to welcome him today to train for the first time and we are very happy to have him here.”
“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.”
The other teams mentioned to be in for Gyokeres are Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Featured image Gualter Fatia via Getty Images
Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
