Sporting CP striker Conrad Harder has expressed his indifference towards the transfer saga involving Viktor Gyokeres. The 27-year-old forward has been strongly linked with a move to Arsenal, and it seems at least one of his team-mates is more than prepared to see Gyokeres leave the club.
Arsenal and Manchester United are among the clubs with an interest in the ex-Coventry City ace, who boasts 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting.
A recent development saw Gyokeres reportedly snub the opportunity for peace talks with Sporting amid supposed dissatisfaction over the club's increased asking price, despite supposed earlier assurances of a summer sale at a more affordable price for interested teams.
Gyokeres' future remains uncertain as Arsenal are also working on a move for RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, while United are seemingly less enticing than the Gunners as an option for the player, despite the chance to reunite with former Sporting boss Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.
However, despite the drama surrounding Gyokeres, team-mate Harder appears unfazed by the prospect of Sporting's star striker leaving the club.
In an interview with Sport TV, as reported by A Bola, Harder stated: "Gyokeres? I'm not interested in any news. I am focusing on myself. I want to play. We'll see what happens.
"It's important for me to have minutes now. I was on the bench for a year, and I need to play. I think I'm ready, and we'll see. It will be good to have minutes.
"We will never forget what Viktor did at Sporting. Never! But I hope that the team and I can live up to the challenge. I'll do my best. I think I'm ready.
"I'm not ready to be the new Viktor; he's 27 years old, I'm 20... But I'm prepared to do what I'm best at. And we'll see what I can bring to the team. I want to stay at Sporting."
Conrad Harder
Conrad Harder has spoken about Viktor Gyokeres (Image: Piermarco Tacca - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
After scoring twice for Denmark in their draw with Finland at the Under-21 Euros on Wednesday, Harder is keen to maintain his spot ahead of their quarter-final meeting with France. It is also another chance for Harder to show he has what it takes to step into Gyokeres' boots at Sporting.
"I can use this tournament to gain some form. I haven't played that much in the last four or five months, so having game minutes is incredible," Harded admitted. "I think I've already proven to many people that I'm ready to play, but I want to prove a little more that I'm ready to play."
Despite being Gyokeres' understudy following his transfer from Nordsjaelland, Harder shone brightly in the opportunities he had. He finished with 13 goals and 10 assists despite just 21 starts, helping Sporting clinch the Primeira Liga and Taca de Portugal.
While on holiday in Saint Tropez, Gyokeres recently swatted away speculation about his future. "There is a lot of talks at the moment, most of it is false. I will speak when the time is right," he wrote on Instagram.
Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres holding a trophy
Viktor Gyokeres has won three trophies during his time at Sporting (Image: David Martins/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Sporting president Frederico Varandas has been upfront about Gyokeres' status at the club, backing Sporting's stance and clarifying that they haven't received any bids for their star player. "One thing you should already know is me better. Threats, blackmail and insults don't work with me," Varandas said, as reported by Portuguese outlet Record.
"I can guarantee that Viktor Gyökeres will not leave for €60m+10m (£51m+£8.5m) because I never promised him that. This game that the agent is playing only makes the situation worse. To this day, Sporting has not had an offer for Viktor Gyökeres, neither today nor last season."
"I think it's fair to explain the whole process," Varandas continued. "The process started last year when the season ended, Sporting were champions and had a fantastic season. During the transfer window we realised that Viktor was going to stay at Sporting because we didn't receive a single offer for him.
"When the season started, the agent approached Hugo Viana several times, asking if we could add an extra fee to the contract if he scored 'x' goals; I gave Viana the opportunity to negotiate, within reason."