Three Champions League clubs ‘are set to rival Man United for the signing of prolific Sporting forward Viktor Gyokeres’

Manchester United are reportedly set to face competition from three Champions League clubs for the signing of Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres.

Gyokeres is one of the most sought after strikers in world football, with his reputation having been enhanced even further by his hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League this week. 

With Sporting boss Ruben Amorim set to take charge of United, speculation has intensified that Gyokeres could make the move to Old Trafford.

However, a deal is unlikely to be straightforward, with several other major clubs also tracking the 26-year-old.

Gyokeres previously played in English football for Brighton, Swansea and Coventry.

There have been claims Gyokeres could follow Sporting boss Ruben Amorim to Old Trafford

As reported by L’Equipe, Manchester City, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also interested in signing Gyokeres.

It is reported that PSG are unlikely to pursue a move for Gyokeres in January given Sporting’s asking price of over £62million (€75million). He has a release clause of £83million (€100million). 

Since joining Sporting in 2023, Gyokeres boasts a hugely impressive record of 66 goals in 67 appearances in all competitions.

United can already call upon the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee as striking options, but the arrival of Gyokeres would give them a significant boost.

Gyokeres helped Sporting to win the Portuguese league title last season. He was named in the Championship team of the season in 2022-23 during his final campaign at Coventry. 

Following Sporting’s 4-1 victory at home to City, Amorim suggested that Gyokeres will remain at the Portuguese club until the summer before departing.

Amorim told A Bola: ‘If I start joking about this Gyokeres situation I’ll get in trouble.

‘This is my city, this is my country, so I’ll respect it. Viktor has to stay until the end of the season and then his life will probably go somewhere else’.

Man City, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are tracking Gyokeres ahead of a potential move

Amorim suggested that Gyokeres will remain at Sporting until the end of the season

Rio Ferdinand had tipped Gyokeres to follow Amorim to United. Speaking on TNT Sports, Ferdinand said: ‘The recruitment teams in all the clubs in the Premier League must be scratching their heads about how they let him get away.

‘He hasn’t had a conventional route, his route to the top hasn’t been straightforward.

‘He was at Brighton as a kid, sold to Coventry, went on loan to Swansea, goes back to Coventry and does well, then goes to Sporting Lisbon.

‘He has had a journey where he has had to build himself and create what he is now.

‘You think ‘How has he been allowed to get out?’, all of a sudden when are seeing what he has got, maybe he has grown into what he is, the confidence, stature he has, the physicality, he might have had to wait for that to come. 

‘A few times today he blew away from players, holding people off.’