Manchester United have been linked with a move for Viktor GyokeresManchester United have been linked with a move for Viktor Gyokeres
Manchester United have been linked with a move for Viktor Gyokeres | AFP via Getty Images
Man Utd will have to change their summer transfer plans as they look to add a striker to their squad.
United viewed Delap as the ideal fit for their rebuild under Amorim and believed the 22-year-old represented incredible value for money due to his £30 million relegation release clause. Instead, United will likely have to spend a lot more than that as they target a new striker this summer.
An option is Sporting star Viktor Gyokeres. The 26-year-old established himself as one of the best striker's in the world this season, with an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances for the Portuguese side. Plenty of those were scored in the first few months of the season, where Sporting enjoyed an unbeaten start under the guidance of Amorim.
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Their form dipped when he was replaced by João Pereira, who was sacked after just eight games in charge, but Sporting recovered when Rui Borges took over on Boxing Day and went on to win the league and cup double. It was under Amorim though, where he played his best football.
Viktor Gyokeres lifts lid on Ruben Amorim relationship
Speaking in a recent interview, Viktor Gyokeres lifted the lid on his relationship with Ruben Amorim and revealed there are 'no hard feelings' between the pair ahead of the summer transfer window. Sporting are prepared to sell the star striker this summer, though The Guardian claim they will demand €80 million (£67m) for his signature. It means, that although he still has a close relationship with the Manchester United head coach, the finances of a deal could make it difficult to complete.
"Of course, it was something that we, as a group of players, didn't want," Gyokeres told SIC of Amorim's decision to leave during the season. "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. 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. Then you can change the way you train or the amount of training and of course that can affect the body. Yes, we tried to take the best out of the situation, it was a hard period, but we got through it and still finished top of the league."
When asked about the winning mentality Amorim created at the club, the Swedish striker added: "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," he added.
"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. 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."
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