If Ruben Amorim is to leave Sporting Lisbon for Liverpool this summer, there could be a few players following him out the door.
Hasan Cetinkaya has said that one of his clients in Viktor Gyokeres would find it ‘difficult’ to remain at the Estadio Jose Alvalade if the 39-year-old were to depart, with the Sweden international having cited his manager as the main reason for coming to the Portuguese capital.
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Speaking to A Bola (via Sport Witness), the striker’s agent said: “Yes, it will be more difficult for Viktor to stay if Rúben Amorim leaves Sporting. Because Viktor came precisely because of Rúben. The day we met, I said to Rúben: ‘Here’s my boy, he came to Sporting because of you’.
“Of course, it’s an honour for any player to be able to play in the Champions League. Viktor is no exception in that respect, but there are other important things and Rúben Amorim is one of them. If he leaves, it will be more difficult for Viktor to continue.”
Cetinkaya added that Gyokeres, whose contract contains a €100m (£86m) release clause, has some ‘top’ Premier League clubs showing interest in the 25-year-old, although he didn’t specify who those suitors are.
There are numerous instances of players following their former manager to another club, including some who reunited at Liverpool (Joe Allen/Brendan Rodgers and Fabio Aurelio/Rafa Benitez spring to mind).
Therefore, if Amorim is to take the job at Anfield, it seems inevitable that several members of his current Sporting squad will be touted with a potential move to Merseyside.
Portuguese journalist Pedro Sepulveda has claimed that Chelsea and Arsenal are preparing offers for Gyokeres, so the London duo could be the foremost Premier League contenders for his signature.
However, with Cetinkaya saying that Amorim’s presence was what attracted the 25-year-old to Lisbon, perhaps the manager might also entice the ex-Coventry striker to Anfield, should he be the man to replace Jurgen Klopp in the dugout.
The Swedish marksman could be one of the hottest properties in European football this summer, having netted 36 goals already this season. We don’t know yet if Liverpool will be in the mix to snap him up, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the Reds were among the leading candidates to sign him, especially if his current boss ends up on Merseyside.