Barcelona are not expected to make a move for Viktor Gyokeres as sporting director Deco rules out a move for the Swedish striker.
Viktor Gyokeres is one of the biggest stories of the transfer market so far, with the Swedish striker tipped to leave Sporting CP and move on to a bigger club. The centre-forward has had two hugely successful seasons in Portugal, and he might feel the need to make a step into a bigger league.
As things stand, there’s no clarity on which club would be his next, as there are some notable names thought to be in the mix. Manchester United are one of those, with Ruben Amorim considered the key factor in this pursuit if the club wishes to reunite the duo at Old Trafford.
Manchester United’s chances might have taken a hit following their failure to qualify for the Champions League. The lure of playing again under Amorim might still be a factor for the 26-year-old goal machine, as he will weigh up his options in the summer.
Despite having a €100 million release clause in his contract, Sporting CP are open to selling him for far less than the exit clause. Sources have stated a bid close to €70 million would suffice to sign the 26-year-old goal machine, as Napoli are also among the suitors.
Chelsea have also been mentioned as a suitor, but the biggest interested party so far has been Arsenal. The Gunners already have a verbal agreement with Viktor Gyokeres as per a report, as they could view him as one of their top targets for the No.9 position.
They are also ramping up efforts to sign Benjamin Sesko as talks have intensified in the background. There is a huge debate among the Arsenal fanbase on the choices between Sesko and Gyokeres, as the latest update on the Swede might provide further encouragement for the North Londoners as well as Manchester United.
Barcelona were also considering Viktor Gyokeres as a potential target in the summer, as there have been rumblings that the club needed to add a new striker into the mix. However, sporting director Deco through his comments that appeared in the Daily Mirror, has dismissed the idea, insisting the club are not focusing on recruiting in the specific positions
Deco said, “Gyokeres is a great striker who did excellent things at Sporting but we’re currently not looking for that position. “We have [Robert] Lewandowski at number nine.”
Indeed, Barcelona are well stocked in the No.9 role, with Robert Lewandowski their leading man there. Other stars like Ferran Torres have also shown immense capability this season to deputise and even provide a concrete option in the role if and when the Polish star is unavailable.
As for Gyokeres, he might have been a stellar addition to Barcelona, although their financial standing will force them to spend wisely. Given a new striker is the least of their worries at the moment, the Blaugrana are expected to strengthen in other areas of the pitch.