The Viktor Gyokeres transfer saga has taken an interesting turn with the Sporting president coming out with fighting words, but that only means the striker is passing Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd test.
Viktor Gyokeres dominated the transfer agenda at Old Trafford after earlier it looked likely that he won’t join Man Utd due to their failure to qualify for Europe.
Contacts were made for Gyokeres and while not everybody agreed that United were in for him, there was too much smoke without fire.
That smoke seems to have burned the eyes of Sporting president Frederico Varandas, who launched a scathing attack on the player’s agent for driving the narrative.
In the process, he might have ensured Ruben Amorim knows Gyokeres has passed his transfer test.
Photo by Maciej Rogowski/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Photo by Maciej Rogowski/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Viktor Gyokeres pulling out all stops at Sporting
The lack of concrete interest surrounding Gyokeres was surprising considering the impact he had on Sporting the last few years.
Arsenal moved for Benjamin Sesko, Chelsea got Liam Delap over Man Utd, and even Italian clubs like Inter sniffed around Rasmus Hojlund on the cheap.
However, in recent days, the tide started turning. Reports of United’s contact for the striker came about, as did Gyokeres being “furious” with Sporting.
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It emerged that Gyokeres was keen on a move to Man Utd regardless of Champions League football, provided they could make the finances work.
Clearly, the Swede had enough of the lack of movement surrounding his future and thought Sporting’s prohibitive asking price was to blame.
He believed Sporting aren’t standing on their gentleman’s agreement of letting Gyokeres go for an agreed low price, and Sporting president was having none of it.
His threat to go on strike if he doesn’t get the move could be what finally convinces Amorim that the striker has passed his test to become a Man Utd player this summer.
Gyokeres passes Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd transfer test
It wasn’t long ago that Man Utd fans were starting to make peace with the fact that Gyokeres wasn’t coming to Old Trafford due to no Champions League football.
It all led up to a brutally honest Ruben Amorim sending Gyokeres an indirect message that any player who wants to come to United to only play a specific competition shouldn’t come.
Those comments seemed like a clear marker of how Amorim saw potential targets, a test which Cunha and Mbeumo have passed with flying colours.
With these latest developments and Gyokeres effectively burning bridges with Sporting, it’s clear that he’s ready to step up to his former manager’s demand as well.
If there was ever any doubt about Gyokeres wanting to join United only for Champions League football, this recent development should put that to rest.
A poetic reunion has never looked more likely.