One topic could lead to an uncomfortable conversation between Ruben Amorim and Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth.
The Portuguese coach gave Sporting Lisbon a perfect farewell before taking charge of the Red Devils as his side beat Manchester City 4-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
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The victory was due in no small part to the dangerous striker Viktor Gyokeres, who scored a hat-trick and canceled out Phil Foden’s opener in the fourth minute.
As Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford draws ever closer, there has been much speculation as to whether he could take the in-demand Swede with him next year.
And should he try, his first step will be to turn to United boss Ashworth, who is already very familiar with Gyokeres.
Read more about Viktor Gyokeres
Just three years ago, the Red Devils director played an important role in the sale of the goalscorer for a transfer fee of just £1 million.
In 2021, when he was technical director at Brighton, Ashworth approved a deal for Gyokeres, who moved from the Seagulls to Coventry for the modest figure.
Admittedly, few could have predicted how things would turn out.
At the time of his departure, the Sweden international had not made a single Premier League appearance for the Amex, having been loaned out three times in recent years.
The last of these stints was at Coventry, where he became a sensation after signing a permanent contract.
Gyokeres scored 40 goals in 97 games for the Sky Blues before joining Sporting in July 2023 in a contract worth up to €24 million [£20m]where his career has skyrocketed ever since.
Last season, the 26-year-old scored an incredible 43 goals in 50 appearances in all competitions, winning the league title and the Golden Boot.
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He started this season in similarly devastating form, with 16 goals in just 10 games in the Primeira Liga.
Gyokeres’ debut in Europe’s elite was equally impressive, with his hat-trick against City taking his Champions League total to five goals so far.
His incredible numbers have seen him linked with a move to a major European club, with the striker believed to have a release clause of £84m.
Despite this, it has previously been claimed that the Portuguese club would be willing to sell for less than that price next summer.
Arsenal were previously considered potential suitors, but Amorim’s new job has now led to many Gyokeres suggesting a move to the Red Devils.
Despite this, Man United’s new head coach refused to talk about a possible reunion at Old Trafford.
Asked if the Sporting star would join him in Manchester after the win over Man City, Amorim told TNT Sports: “No, no, no, no. I can’t be funny about it right now.
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“It’s one thing for me to walk away if I joke about Gyokeres, I’ll get in trouble. This is my city, this is my country, so I will respect it.”
“Viktor has to stay until the end of the season and then it will be his life, maybe go to someone else.”
Gyokeres also appeared to be fully focused on his current club’s future as he paid tribute to Amorim after his heroics against City.
He told UEFA: “We will miss him very much.”
“We have achieved great things together. We will miss him and the other guys on the team who will be leaving. We need to look forward and tackle the next challenge that lies ahead.”