Liverpool have sent Man United transfer warning about Viktor Gyokeres to Ruben Amorim

Recording a hat-trick against their arch rivals is the perfect way to endear Manchester United fans.

Many will be excited by the prospect of a possible approach for the Sporting CP star given his links with Ruben Amorim. His agent has outlined that he only moved to Lisbon because of the coach, adding further fuel to the speculation fire.

Nine goals in three games - including seven in his last two - means Gyokeres now has 23 strikes in 17 matches this season. This follows his tally of 43 in 50 outings during last campaign’s title success.

READ MORE: What Sporting players did for Amorim

READ MORE: Gyokeres was once sold by Ashworth - now he has destroyed City

The thought of United signing an exciting talent from Sporting may evoke a sense of romanticism given the ties with Cristiano Ronaldo. The successes of Nani and Bruno Fernandes also strengthen that emotion.

A treble against the Premier League champions indicates that Gyokeres can be a threat in Amorim’s current system if deployed at United. But reality must also be sought.

While his first goal against Man City was excellently taken, the other two were penalties that he didn’t win himself. And before his opening strike, the Swede missed a glorious one-on-one chance by chipping straight into the arms of Ederson.

Man City had two 19-year-olds playing in the back four, with John Stones, Ruben Dias and Kyle Walker not used. Meanwhile, Gyokeres completed just seven of his 12 attempted passes.

Portugal’s top-flight is ranked as only the seventh-best league in Europe behind France and the Netherlands. Outside of Benfica and Porto, the domestic competition is pretty poor.

United can look at two examples for a reference guide to how strikers from the Portuguese league fair