Manchester United need to break their own transfer rule for Viktor Gyokeres

Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres is a man in demand, and little wonder when you consider his goalscoring record.

Since making the move to Sporting from Coventry in 2023, Gyokeres has plundered 97 goals in 102 games for the Portuguese heavyweights, including six in eight games in the 2024/25 Champions League.

Gyokeres's route to the wishlist of some of Europe's top sides has been anything but conventional. Just two years ago he was plying his trade in England's second tier having failed to make a single league appearance in three years at Brighton. He was loaned out numerous times during his spell with the Seagulls, including a season in the second tier of German football and a dire stint at Swansea that saw him fail to score in 11 league outings.

There's something to be admired in Gyokeres' ascent, and with so many top teams on the hunt for a new No.9 this summer it would be a shock to see him playing in the Primeira Liga next season. But Sporting certainly won't be letting him leave on the cheap.

Club president Frederico Varandas addressed the speculation surrounding his star man this week, insisting he would not be allowed to leave for the €70million (£59.5m) fee that's been bandied about in recent weeks. And that could be an issue should Manchester United look to pursue Gyokeres.

After years of being taken for a ride in the transfer market and paying well over the odds, United are keen to make 'the United tax' a thing of the past.

Manchester City's hit rate in the market has to be admired, and so United looking to adopt their stance of rarely paying over £60m for players makes a lot of sense. It must be added that the club have already sanctioned a £62.5m deal for Matheus Cunha this summer after triggering his