Better than Haaland? Viktor Gyökeres: The Swedish Striker making waves in Europe.
23 goals in 14 games. If that stat was read out in a pub quiz about a Scandinavian scoring sensation, you’d rightly assume it was about Erling Haaland. Yet it belongs to the hottest property in Europe right now: Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyökeres.
Doubts over Gyökeres’ ability were dispelled fresh from his hattrick in a 4-1 drubbing of Manchester City, condemning the Citizens to their worst defeat in all competitions for four years.
As European heavyweights’ queue for the Swede sensation’s signature, how on earth did a once Brighton reject take centre stage among Europe’s elite?
Brighton Blues
For all of Brighton’s astute business, they must be left wondering how on earth they allowed the Swede to slip from their grasp for a mere million. It’s hard to criticise a club who have mastered the art of recruitment under chairman Tony Bloom, but Gyökeres is one blot in an otherwise impressive acumen.
However, things didn’t go to plan. His playing time at Brighton was non-existent with Graham Potter preferring pantomime villain Neal Maupay to spearhead the Seagull’s attack. Accruing a mere 10 goals in three separate loan spells, perhaps justified the reasoning for Potter’s consistent Gyökeres omission.
Coventry Transformation
His Brighton nightmare ended, swapping the blue of Brighton for the sky blue of Coventry, where he had spent the second half of last season on loan. Robins had seen enough in six months to hedge his bets on the forward and Gyökeres relished the opportunity. It’s arguably the best million Coventry ever spent.
With newfound confidence, Gyökeres became a Championship defender’s ultimate worst nightmare. In the following two seasons, his 38 goals across 91 games propelled Coventry from 16th place to an improbable play-off final showdown against Luton Town. Wembley heartbreak
Ugarte’s 60m move to PSG freed up funds for Sporting, who splashed a club record £16.7m on the forward.
While Premier League clubs dithered, Sporting swooped for the Swede in a gamble that would pay off substantially and now, probably financially.
Sporting Star Sensation
Before Gyökeres’ arrival, Sporting Lisbon had a season to forget, conceding the title to rivals Benfica and dropping out of the Champions League spots altogether.
Manager Ruben Amorim knew he needed to address the sharp decline in profligacy from his strikers. He identified Gyökeres as the solution to Sporting’s woes and was ultimately proved right.
In the 2022-23 season, Gyökores took Portugal by storm as Sporting regained their status as the top dogs of Portuguese football. He took a clean sweep of awards winning the Bola de Prata as the league’s top goal scorer netting 29 goals, subsequently acclaiming player of the year.
Despite undergoing surgery on his knee in the summer, Gyökeres came flying out of the traps again. Already amassing 23 goals in 14 games, he remains the leading goalscorer across Europe’s top 10 leagues and European competitions this season.
Not bad for a £16.7m player two years ago. Sporting must be laughing their heads off.
What makes him a defender’s nightmare?
Simply put, he typifies what any manager would want from a striker. Gyökeres has it all- explosive pace, physicality, and sharp finishing ability. His powerful dribbling allows him to drive at defenders with confidence, creating goal-scoring opportunities out of seemingly impossible situations.
His link-up play adds another dimension to his game, striking a formidable partnership with a rotation of Premier League rejects: Pedro Gonçalves, Marcus Edwards and Francisco Trincão. Relentless pressing and work ethic make him a constant threat, both in attack and when doing his defensive duties from the front.
No doubt Coventry has to take credit for his meteoric rise. His experience at the Championship outfit gave Gyökeres grit in a bullying environment. The brutality of that league can either make or break a striker’s career but many have reaped the reward down the line.
English contingent Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney and Jamie Vardy are just a few of many who have profited from spells in the Championship. It feels like Gyökeres is already following suit.
Amorim reunion on the cards?
“It sounds a bit crazy but I think Gyökeres is a bit of a better version of Haaland,” said Netherlands’ legend Rafael Van der Vaart in The Metro.
To compound a long list of issues, Manchester United have nowhere near any finisher of Gyökeres’ calibre. Not even close and Amorim will be in for quite a reality check.
Gyökeres has scored as many goals this week as misfiring duo Zirkzee and Hojlund have scored all season. He has set the standards that United have alarmingly lacked for an unduly length of time.
Sporting’s £63 million price tag next summer in the current financial climate seems a bargain. Ironically current sporting director Dan Ashworth who decided Gyökeres wasn’t good enough for Brighton, may have to eat humble pie and convince the Swede to join United’s ranks.
As numerous European clubs line up a move, would Gyökeres really join such a disjointed club plagued with issues on and off the pitch?
Whether realistic or not, it would be eye-catching if he followed in his manager’s footsteps to Old Trafford. Red vs blue. Amorim vs Pep. Gyökeres vs Haaland. For Ashworth and Manchester United’s sake, let’s hope he doesn’t hold past grudges.
