Viktor Gyokeres breaks silence on Man United transfer interest and Ruben Amorim contact

Sporting CP attacker Viktor Gyokeres has finally responded to rumours linking him with a transfer that would see him join Ruben Amorim at Manchester United.

Gyokeres' future at Sporting CP has been under the spotlight - even more so now Amorim officially made the leap from the Portuguese champions to Old Trafford this week.

"It’s very sad that he’s leaving, but of course we understand his decision," the Sweden international admitted to Fotbollskanalen about the 39-year-old's switch. "He has of course meant a lot [to me] considering that he gave me that chance and that he made me develop so much."

Amorim has started by preparing his Man United team for a trip to Ipswich Town next weekend. This should act as a first indicator he will get as to which areas of his squad need strengthening.

Despite a £108.5m expenditure on both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee in the two most recent summers, before the new coach even arrived he was being hotly linked with recruiting the striker he was already familiar with. This may in part come down to the perceived lack of impact both young attackers have had since their respective arrivals, whilst Gyokeres himself has been scoring goals for fun in his year or so in Portugal - 66 strikes in 68 appearances, to be exact.

Amorim has said he will not take any players from his former club in January, but hasn't yet ruled out possibilities beyond the season's end. Now Gyokeres himself has revealed that he is yet to be officially contacted about a Man United switch.

"He [Amorim] probably has some strikers there already, so we’ll see," the 26-year-old explained. "No, he hasn’t [contacted me]. It's fun but nothing I attach any importance to because it’s talk and nothing concrete."

On his conditions for any switch, he added: "That you get an important role and that you get to play. That’s the most important thing. There are other things that also need to be in place, but I’ll take it when it comes."

Were Man United to wait until next summer to act, it has been suggested the target already has a gentleman's agreement with Sporting that would allow him to be signed for a fee in the region of £50m-£58m, rather than his £83m release clause.