Viktor Gyokeres is expected to leave Sporting CP for a fee significantly below his release clause, and transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on whether the striker is heading to Manchester United.
Gyokeres has developed into one of European football’s most feared forwards since leaving Coventry City for Sporting CP in 2023. The Swede’s record in Portugal is scarcely believable, with 80 goals scored and 24 assists provided in just 89 appearances.
The bulk of those attacking returns came while current Man Utd boss, Ruben Amorim, was in Lisbon.
The Red Devils are on the hunt for a new striker at season’s end, with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee both failing to convince so far.
But with Man Utd’s transfer budget prior to player sales tight, Gyokeres’ €100m release clause would prove prohibitive for the Red Devils.
Yet speaking on his YouTube channel, trusted reporter Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Gyokeres can actually leave Sporting for a heavily discounted sum.
“For Viktor Gyokeres you should not follow the release clause anymore,” began Romano.
“The release clause is €100m, that’s the official contract, but there is a pact between the player, agents and Sporting directly with the president to let Viktor Gyokeres leave in the summer for a different transfer fee.
“So not €100m (£83.9m) which was the fee in January, but in the summer to respect the player who accepted to stay at Sporting for one more season (2024/25) and to stay in January despite Ruben Amorim leaving, the price will be different.
“It will be a package worth around €65m-€75m (£54.5m-£62.9m) based on payment terms, add-ons and all these sorts of things.”
Romano went on to stress “many clubs around Europe” are monitoring the situation, though did zero in on Man Utd specifically…
Viktor Gyokeres to Man Utd – can it happen?
“We had many reports about Manchester United and the appreciation of Ruben Amorim for Viktor Gyokeres is obviously there,” continued Romano.
“He loves Gyokeres and Gyokeres loves Amorim, for sure. But for Man Utd we say it for [Victor] Osimhen and for Gyokeres too – it depends on the budget, how much they can invest, how much they can spend and what happens with European football.
“That’s really important to understand what’s next for Man Utd in terms of summer spending and then Amorim has been very clear: sell players to bring in new players.”
Man Utd are currently languishing down in 14th place in the Premier League table ahead of this weekend’s fixtures. Barring a miracle, they will not qualify for any European competition via league position.
United are also out of the League Cup and FA Cup, though winning the Europa League comes with a gigantic bonus aside from lifting a major honour.
The winners of the Europa League will secure entry into next season’s Champions League and Man Utd are among the bookies’ favourites to win the competition.
A tough-looking draw against Real Sociedad in the Round of 16 is first up, though Man Utd have already secured a credible 1-1 draw in the away leg. With the return fixture on home soil, Man Utd will fancy their chances of advancing to the quarter-finals.
Winning the Europa League and snatching UCL qualification could well prove vital in United’s efforts to reunite Amorim with Gyokeres.
Failure to do so could prompt a re-think, with the Sun claiming Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta is viewed as a worthy and cheaper alternative.
Latest Man Utd news – Mainoo wants OUT / Reasons Amorim is safe
In other news, the Guardian reported Kobbie Mainoo intends to reject offers to sign a contract extension with Man Utd.
The midfielder intends to seek a move away and is already eyeing a move abroad and out of the Premier League.
Elsewhere, the sobering reasons Man Utd WON’T sack Ruben Amorim – despite one reporter saying all the evidence suggests they should – have been detailed.
QUIZ: Think you know Viktor Gyokeres? ⬇️