Viktor Gyokeres has dropped a strong hint about his preferred destination amid significant transfer interest in the Sporting Lisbon forward.
The Swedish striker has been in sensational form this season, scoring 32 goals across all competitions. However, his omission from the starting lineup in Sporting’s Champions League defeat to RB Leipzig raised eyebrows. The club cited fitness concerns, limiting the 26-year-old to the final 35 minutes of the game, during which he scored his 32nd goal of the season. Despite his efforts, Yussuf Poulsen secured a late winner for Leipzig.
Gyokeres has previously stated his intention to finish the season with Sporting before making a decision about his long-term future in the summer. However, it appears increasingly likely that his future lies away from Portugal, as he is currently regarded as one of the top strikers in world football.
The forward has been linked with moves to Arsenal, Barcelona, and Manchester United. Notably, United are managed by Ruben Amorim, Gyokeres’ former coach at Sporting.
In a recent interview with UEFA’s website, Gyokeres provided a clear indication of his preferences by naming Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo as his childhood inspirations.
“The players I looked up to were Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo,” he said. “It’s about how they performed on the pitch. They went the extra mile, which impressed me. I wanted to do similar things on the pitch.”
Both Ibrahimovic and Ronaldo enjoyed successful spells at Manchester United. Ronaldo became one of the world’s best players during his time at the club, before departing for Real Madrid in 2009 for a then-record £80 million fee. Ibrahimovic, meanwhile, joined United in 2016 and scored 28 goals in his debut season before a knee injury ended his campaign prematurely.
Leave a Reply