Sporting chance Vik could move on from Lisbon
FORMER Coventry City star Viktor Gyokeres has hinted that he is open to a summer transfer just 12 months after leaving England for Sporting Lisbon.
The 25-year-old striker has scored 40 goals to help the club win the Portuguese top-flight championship with two games to go and is not short of admirers ahead of another big window that will be packed full of speculation about his future.
Just 12 months ago the Sweden international scored 22 goals for the Sky Blues to spark interest in his services from home and abroad and his decision to move to Portugal has been proved to be a masterstroke, with the player’s profile and stock rising considerably.
Coventry sold Gyokeres for just over £20 million last July and are due to earn even more from the player from a sell-on clause, understood to be 10% of the difference between what City sold him for and his next sale price.
That could be considerable given that there is an £86m release clause on the centre-forward who has another four years left on his contract at Sporting.
A number of English Premier
League clubs, including Arsenal and Chelsea, have been linked with interest in his services as well as several European sides.
Speaking about his future, Gyokeres told the Portuguese outlet Record: “I love being here. It’s been fantastic. Let’s see what happens. This is football. I can’t promise anything.”
He added: “But I have a contract with Sporting and I really enjoy being here. Things happen very quickly in football and we have to adapt.”
Manager Ruben Amorin appears to have been a huge influential factor in Gyokeres’ decision to both sign for Sporting in the first place last summer, and his incredible progress this season. But Amorin’s future is also understood to be uncertain, with the talented coach linked with some high profile jobs around Europe, including the Liverpool job before the Reds appointed Arne Slot to become Jurgen Klopp’s successor at the end of the season.
“Without Ruben Amorim?” said Gyokeres, “It’s difficult to predict the future. He’s our coach now and we still have a few games until the end of the season.”