Ruben Amorim insists no clubs matched Viktor Gyokeres’ release clause in the summer with the in-demand striker claimed to have only signed for Sporting Lisbon because of the Manchester United-bound coach. Gyokeres’ future has been placed into doubt following reports that Amorim is set to take charge of the Premier League club.
The former Coventry forward has a release clause believed to be around £83million (€100m). His agent, Hasan Cetinkaya, insists he only took him to Sporting because of Amorim.
That has raised concerns that Gyokeres could seek a quick exit from the club, with several Premier League teams reported to be interested. However, Amorim insists that will not be the case.
The 39-year-old said: “Firstly, no player was offered the clause. And that doesn’t change. There is no more stability than that.
“It’s easy to say, only someone leaves here because of the clause. Secondly, it wasn’t Viktor who said that. It was Viktor’s agent. They are different people. I’m not going to talk about the decision or lack of decision. I’ll explain everything.”
It comes after Cetinkaya opened up on taking Gyokeres from Championship Coventry to Sporting for £20m in 2023.
“Everyone was waiting for Viktor to sign with a Premier League club,” he told Portuguese publication Record. “I brought Viktor to Sporting for just one reason, and this is also something I said to Mr Amorim when I saw him for the first time.
“I said it before I even said hello to him: ‘I only brought my player here because of you’. Therefore, I only brought Gyokeres to Sporting because of Ruben Amorim.
“There were eight Premier League clubs who made concrete proposals to Coventry and me, which guaranteed more money, more commissions and a higher transfer value than Sporting. I said no to everyone and told Viktor that Sporting was our next destination.
“He is very respectful, he trusts me as a businessman and he immediately replied: ‘No problem, I’ll go wherever you tell me’. Therefore, Ruben Amorim was, and is, the key to Viktor taking this step towards Sporting.”
Gyokeres has gone on to become one of Europe’s most prolific forwards. The 26-year-old scored a remarkable 43 goals in 50 appearances last season and has already bagged 14 in 14 this term.
Arsenal were linked with a summer deal as Mikel Arteta searched for a new number nine. It remains to be seen if Amorim wants to take his star man to Old Trafford.
