EXCLUSIVE: Ruben Amorim's private Viktor Gyokeres agreement with striker keen on Man Utd move

Manchester United are in the market for reinforcements, with Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres the dream target after becoming a global superstar under Ruben Amorim in Lisbon

Posted Sunday, January 05, 2025 by mirror.co.uk

Manchester United will NOT be signing Swedish hot-shot Viktor Gyokeres this month - because of a promise made by manager Ruben Amorim when he left Sporting Lisbon.

Amorim gave assurances that he wouldn't be returning to raid his former club during the January transfer window in a bid to help smooth his departure to Old Trafford in November.

Sporting made it clear that they did not want the 39-year-old Portuguese to leave during the season when United told them they were ready to trigger the £9.2million compensation clause in his contract.

Amorim could have left as soon as the money was paid - but as a gesture of goodwill he gave assurances to Sporting chiefs that he would not be coming back in the New Year to poach any of the players that helped him win the Portuguese title last year.

In one of his final press conferences before joining United, Amorim said: "I'm not going to sign anyone from Sporting in January - but I don't know what I'm going to do in the summer."

Gyokeres is high on Amorim's wish-list - and so is Sporting's young defender Goncalo Inacio.

And Gyokeres, the 26-year-old striker signed from Coventry in 2023 and scorer of a Champions League hat-trick against Manchester City, has an £80million buy-out clause. The Swede would love to move to Old Trafford with his former boss.

United are looking for reinforcements during the window - but any deals are likely to be loan agreements.

Juventus want to take struggling Dutchman Joshua Zirkzee back to Serie A for the rest of the season and Marcus Rashford has admitted he wants a new challenge after being sidelined by United's new manager despite a desperate start which has seen the Reds lose five of his first eight Premier League games.

Despite those struggles, Amorim has admitted that his transfer budget will be modest and any incomings will only be sanctioned if players go the other way.

Asked about strengthening his squad this month, he said: "We don't have that possibility in January, if we don't take [sell] some players.

"So you know the situation better than I am. So it's not the case that I am arriving here and I can spend a lot of money changing all the team. You know the situation, so it's not a point to talk about it."