Man United target Viktor Gyokeres joins Sporting pre-season squad

Manchester United target Viktor Gyokeres has joined Sporting CP‘s pre-season squad after being granted permission to join a week late, according to O Jogo.

Gyokeres has been linked with a summer exit all summer, after he decided to move to the Premier League this summer.

The Swedish international is one of the most sought-after forwards in Europe at the moment, following a scintillating starring role in the last two seasons for Sporting.

The 27-year-old, who has a €100m (£85m) release clause in his contract, has netted 97 goals in 102 matches during two seasons in Portugal.

Last season, Gyokeres racked up 52 appearances, scored 54 goals, and provided 13 assists for Sporting across all competitions.

The prolific striker spent three seasons with Championship side Coventry City before joining Sporting under Ruben Amorim.

Sporting president Frederico Varandas recently disclosed that the club has not received an offer for the striker and there is no ‘gentleman’s agreement’ for him to leave for £59m.

Sporting want a reported £68 million ($92m) for their top scorer, which goes against a reported ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that he can leave for less.

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are reportedly leading the race for the signature of the “deadly” forward.

However, Portuguese publication O Jogo reports that the reason for Gyokeres’ delayed arrival at the pre-season camp, which starts on July 1, is due to his participation with the Swedish national team earlier this month.

Despite the claim by the report, he dropped out of Jon Dahl Tomasson’s squad due to a minor fitness issue, and it has not been confirmed whether this was the reason for Sporting’s decision.

The transfer saga of the player needs to be resolved as quickly as possible, in the best interest of both the player in order to eliminate bad blood between the two parties.

All the signs point towards an exit for Gyokeres this summer, but the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool may be unwilling to meet Sporting’s asking price.

The 27-year-old is likely to be at his peak value this summer, so it remains to be seen whether the player or club will soften their stance as the situation develops.