Viktor Gyokeres made waves by netting a hat-trick in Ruben Amorim’s Sporting CP’s stunning 4-0 victory over Manchester City on Tuesday, marking their first win against City since 2020.
This win was particularly meaningful for Amorim, who was also managing Sporting when they suffered a 5-0 defeat to City in their last Champions League meeting in Lisbon in 2022.
On that same night, Gyokeres started for Coventry City in a 2-0 loss to Cardiff City.
After scoring 43 goals across 116 games for Coventry, Gyokeres caught Amorim’s eye, leading Sporting to secure him in a 2023 transfer valued at around £20 million.
“I brought Gyokeres to Sporting solely for Ruben Amorim,” his agent later stated.
With his hat-trick against City, speculation has only intensified about a potential Manchester United move, given Amorim’s upcoming role there.
However, Gyokeres has dismissed any immediate plans to reunite with Amorim in Manchester, with Amorim himself noting that the striker’s £83.9 million release clause could be an obstacle.
“I won’t be signing any Sporting players in January,” Amorim assured reporters last week. “Gyokeres costs €100 million. It’s quite complicated.”
This situation poses a challenge for United and Dan Ashworth, Brighton & Hove Albion’s former technical director, who had a role in Gyokeres’ move to Coventry for £1 million in 2021.
Coventry later made a £19 million profit from his sale and could see further income through a 15% sell-on clause with Sporting, reduced to 10% if Gyokeres meets specific success criteria.
Given this, Sporting may seek to hold onto Gyokeres longer, mindful of the amount owed to Coventry.
