Viktor Gyokeres transfer fee ‘decided’ as Man Utd target drops bomb in dressing room

Sporting have nailed down the price at which they would be willing to sell Viktor Gyokeres, according to reports. And if Manchester United are the side to get their hands on him, they will do so for well below his £83million release clause.

Gyokeres was racking up goals like a man possessed under Ruben Amorim. He netted nine times in the four matches immediately before the manager’s move to United. Since then, he has scored one in four and Sporting have lost every game.

Amorim taking the Red Devils job sparked speculation around him plotting a move to reunite with his Sporting goal machine. As the January transfer window closes in, that speculation is growing.

According to Corriere dello Sport, it has ‘already been decided’ that Sporting would sell Gyokeres for just £58m. United have reportedly been in contact for ‘several months’, and even though there will be intense competition to sign the Swedish international, they have the obvious advantage of offering another opportunity to play for Amorim.

The report adds that Gyokeres has dropped a bombshell on his team-mates by admitting that he wants to leave the Portuguese table-toppers after a year and a half in Lisbon.

It remains to be seen whether United would be willing or able to fork out his asking price this winter, particularly with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee already at the club. But reports linking Zirkzee with a return to Serie A could pave the way for Gyokeres to take his place at Old Trafford.

Juventus, AC Milan, Napoli and Inter are all said to be tracking Zirkzee, who has scored just three goals in 15 appearances since completing a £36.5m summer move from Bologna.

Hojlund is having a better campaign with seven goals in 17 matches, but Gyokeres is blowing both of them out of the water with 25 in 23. The 26-year-old was playing Championship football with Coventry City as recently as last year, but he has taken European football by storm since heading abroad.

Amorim could certainly use a pick-me-up in attack after making a mediocre start to life in England. The 39-year-old has won three of his first six games, but the third was a laboured comeback win over Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Wednesday night.

The first was a similarly sketchy 3-2 victory at home to Bodo/Glimt, having momentarily fallen behind against the Norwegian underdogs. United fans will hope to see their best performance yet when they make the short trip to face Manchester City on Sunday.