Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim insists that a bid of £73 million is ‘not enough’ to sign Viktor Gyokeres amid interest from Premier League duo Liverpool and Newcastle United.
Coventry City’s remarkable rise up the Championship table – Mark Robins’ side hammering runaway leaders Leicester City 3-1 last time out – certainly feels all the more impressive when you consider that last season’s free-scoring talisman is doing his thing in Lisbon rather than at the Ricoh these days.
Viktor Gyokeres fired an unfancied Coventry side to within a few penalty kicks of promotion to the Premier League last season. And, since joining Sporting in a £20 million summer deal, the scintillating Swede has taken one giant step towards the ‘elite centre-forward’ bracket, HITC Football understanding that both Liverpool and Newcastle had representatives at the Estadio Jose Alvalade as Gyokeres produced a hat-trick of assists during the 5-1 hammering of Estoril.
Liverpool and Newcastle scout Viktor Gyokeres
Chelsea, according to reports, have come forward with a £73 million offer of their own. But, as far as Ruben Amorim is concerned, Gyokeres will be going nowhere unless a nine-figure bid arrives on his desk.
“Obviously, I was informed of the news (of Chelsea’s offer). And as soon as they said 85 million euros, I thought ‘it’s not enough’,” Amorim, who ended Sporting’s 20 year wait for a Primeira Liga title in 2022, explains.
“In the middle of the season, (Gyokeres) will only leave through the (release) clause. As we can’t control that, I feel I’m quite calm because we can’t do anything.
“Obviously we have to see the impact that Viktor has on the team, we would have to change a lot of things, and hence the management’s effort to only let out players that we can’t lose through the clause.
“I just heard the number, I thought it wasn’t enough and I moved on.”
20 goals in 24 Sporting Lisbon games
Gyokeres, who started his career in British football at Brighton and had a disappointing loan spell at Swansea before making his name at Coventry, has scored 20 goals while setting up 10 more in just 24 Spprting appearances.
“Nowadays, obviously there are clubs that can pay 100 million euros,” Amorim adds. “But we can’t control that.
“I’m sure there could be offers in the summer. At this point in January, it seems difficult to me that anyone will reach 100 million.”
HITC has been informed that Liverpool, in addition to Gyokeres, are looking at a number of left-sided centre-halves this month. Levi Colwill of Chelsea is a target, while sources at Anfield have confirmed that there is interest in David Hancko after the Feyenoord defender’s agent opened up about a potential switch to Merseyside.
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