Viktor Gyokeres admitted that there was "no hard feelings" with Ruben Amorim following his mid-season switch from Sporting CP to Manchester United.
The Swedish striker has been in stunning form in Portugal this season, scoring 53 goals and assisting 13 times across all competitions, including 39 strikes in the league alone.
The 26-year-old's clinical eye for goal have put him on the radar of numerous European clubs, as multiple Premier League clubs take a keen interest in his services. While United have eyed a reunion between Amorim and Gyokeres, Arsenal are said to be leading the chase for his signature.
Recently, Portuguese news outlet O Jogo reported that the Gunners are prepared to pay the Swede's release clause, with just personal terms to finalise in the summer. This could bring the attacking boost Mikel Arteta is after in the next transfer window, with a bid to put forward a title-winning charge next season.
That said, Gyokeres' past connection with Amorim could still help to tip the scales in United's favour. The chance to link up with his former boss at Old Trafford might yet appeal for the striker, even against offers from higher-ranked teams. United's failure to qualify for the Champions League after their defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final, though, crucially means their finances are stretched.
During an interview with SIC, Gyokeres revealed his feelings on the Sporting team's initial reaction to Amorim's abrupt switch to the Red Devils. The squad may not have wanted the manager to depart, but Gyokeres insisted there were no grudges held by himself and the rest of the team.
He said: "Of course, it was something that we, as a group of players, didn't want. Obviously, like you said, we were flying and winning every game in the league and doing well in the Champions League, too.
"It was a sad moment, but we totally understood his decision and there were no hard feelings. We spoke to him. Everything was very clear and there were no hard feelings."
Ruben Amorim.
Gyokeres already has a connection to the Premier League through United boss Ruben Amorim (Image: Joao Rico/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
At the time of Amorim's exit, he had led Sporting to 11 out of 11 league wins, potentially placing them in the bracket of early invincibles if the run had continued.
Describing his former manager's winning mentality, Gyokeres said: "It was a difficult moment, but I think we all played a lot of games over a long period and then that kind of thing can happen. We've also changed coaches twice, we've had three different coaches.
"I think when you're in that kind of moment where you keep winning, you go in with the same mentality as every game and you keep doing the same things and with the same rhythm.
Viktor Gyokeres.
Could Viktor Gyokeres be on the move this summer? (Image: Valter Gouveia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
"That's what we felt when we went into the games. It's possible to have those kinds of moments, I don't know if we would have kept the same level throughout the season, because I think it's very normal in football for there to be stages of the season when you maybe win every game and then there's a period when it's tougher."
He added: "Of course, we always have the mentality of wanting to win every game, but as we've seen in football, it doesn't always end that way. I think it's very difficult to go through an entire season without losing a single game, as you can see in history, I don't think many teams have done it. It's one thing to win a lot of games and another thing to go a whole season without losing a game."
United's Europa League heartache means that the Old Trafford side will not only go trophyless this season, but will miss out on European football until the 2026/27 season at least.
Viktor Gyokeres.
The two-time title winner has been coy about his future plans (Image: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images)
On the other hand, the Gunners have all but cemented their grip on second place in the Premier League, and have qualified for the league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League competition.
Gyokeres hasn't shut the door on a potential move to the Premier League but refused to speculate on a club decision for his future.
"Hopefully, you can expect that I will keep improving and score goals," he said. "In Portugal? Let's see, it's the future, and it's football as well, so you never know what's going to happen. As you've seen this season, you never know what's going to happen, and it's the same now. We will see in the future."
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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