Viktor Gyokeres admits he has not been asked to join Ruben Amorim at Manchester United but said “we'll see” when asked about a possible reunion.
Gyokeres fired Amorim's Sporting to the Primeira Liga title last season, scoring 29 goals in the league, and a further 14 in cup competitions. He already has 23 to his name this season from just 18 appearances, including a hat-trick in the memorable 4-1 Champions League win against Manchester City.
The team from Lisbon is six points ahead at the top of the table after eleven games and has ten points out of a possible twelve in Europe. However, if they want to continue their fast start, they will have to do so without Amorim.
United made a mid-season jump for the 39-year-old head coach, who will take charge of his first Premier League game on November 24. In the meantime, however, the international break has given players from both clubs the chance to talk about what Amorim's move could be meaningful, and it was no surprise that such questions were asked of Gyokeres.
“He [Amorim] There are probably some attackers already there, so we'll see,” the Swedish international said, as reported by Fotbollskanaal. “No, he hasn't [asked me to join him]. It's fun, but I don't attach any importance to it because it's talk and nothing concrete.”
Gyokeres was also asked more generally about Amorim's departure. “It is very sad that he is leaving, but of course we understand his decision,” he said.
“Of course he meant a lot [to me] considering that he gave me that opportunity and that he allowed me to develop so much. We now look forward to working with the new coach.”
United are not the only club linked with Gyokeres following his impressive performances in Portugal. However, it seems unlikely that they will face competition from Barcelona.
“He is a good player, he has been scoring goals in Portugal for a long time,” Barcelona sporting director Deco told Mundo Deportivo. “We know him like others, but he is not our priority at the moment.
“We are not looking for a number 9 to replace Robert [Lewandowski] because we want him to stay happy, score goals and stay at least another season. We won things and he is happy to be here. We're not going to talk about any player right now.”
Barcelona forward Lewandowski has flourished after reuniting with his former Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick. He has 19 goals from 17 appearances in all competitions this season, including 14 in La Liga – six more than any other player – helping the Catalan club open a six-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid stands.
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