Viktor Gyökeres’ transfer choice is blatantly obvious amid links with Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal

Between his insatiable goalscoring form and the impending departure of his manager Rúben Amorim, it’s to be expected that we can’t move for rumours about Viktor Gyökeres’ future – and after last night’s hat-trick in a stunning win over Manchester City, those rumours are only gathering pace.

Just about every football-centric website in the world has run a story which claims that Amorim wants the Swedish striker to join him at Old Trafford, but it doesn’t stop there – Liverpool appear to be keen, Arsenal and Chelsea have long been linked, and apparently Barcelona believe that they can scrounge up the cash as well. The feeding frenzy is only just getting started.

Whether it’s in January or next summer, Gyökeres will almost certainly be on the move, and probably for a handsome fee. The question isn’t whether he will leave Sporting, but where he should actually go – and which clubs should really consider looking elsewhere.

Manchester United

Amorim’s appointment at Manchester United means that the Red Devils have been linked with just about every player of note in Sporting’s squad, including Gyökeres – and it’s a connection which makes sense given that he is a proven perfect fit for the Portuguese coach’s system.

In practice, that’s because Gyökeres is an excellent pressing striker, attacking the ball high up the pitch and playing into Amorim’s aggressive, high-pressure style. He’s also got the acceleration and late movement to be highly effective in quick attacks, playing off the last shoulder when Sporting are in possession. Assuming that Amorim wants to continue with the style that has brought him so much success, Gyökeres would undeniably be an effective piece in the puzzle.

The only reason that Manchester United mightn’t want to get involved in the coming bidding war – finances aside – is if they feel that they already have the position covered and need to prioritise signings elsewhere.

Certainly their most glaring weakness is out wide, but they are hardly scoring at will right now. Rasmus Højlund has impressed in fits and starts, but not consistently. Meanwhile, Joshua Zirkzee has struggled as a number nine and would surely be better off playing in the pocket behind and alongside the central striker, as he did at Bologna. In other words, it’s hard to find a convincing argument against an attempt to sign Gyökeres.

Liverpool, Arsenal & Chelsea

There are, of course, plenty of other teams that could benefit from a central striker who presses high up the pitch – and in particular, Arsenal have been lacking that sort of genuine central striker for some time. In the end, they decided not to pursue Gyökeres over the summer due to his cost, but they may change their mind over the next year.

The issue is that one of Gyökeres’ few weaknesses is that he isn’t a great technician and isn’t at his best dropping back and linking up play. His first touch is, by elite standards, not the best, and he lacks the clarity of vision and precision of passing to be a creative force around the edge of the area.

That would mean that teams like Arsenal, who play with wide inside forwards like Bukayo Saka operating as the preferred final pass, would need to have a rethink to accommodate Gyökeres. He suits a more direct, vertical style of play, whereas Arsenal tend to be more intricate.

The same caveats apply to Chelsea, as well, who prefer to play with a complex forward line with no single spearhead, but with players like Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson dropping deep to create space for each other and look for playmaking opportunities – not something that would naturally be in Gyökeres’ wheelhouse.

Liverpool, however, make a little more logical sense for the 26-year-old, although again they are set up to play with the wingers playing furthest forward for long periods. Still, they do look for quick forward passes and do play a high pressing game under Slot, so there’s plenty of reason to think he’d fit in at Anfield, especially if Mohamed Salah ends up leaving at the end of the season, a change which would reduce the reason to have the number nine dropping in behind the wide forwards.

The move that makes the most sense

Ultimately, Gyökeres will probably only be able to play to the best of his capabilities if he’s playing in a system which leaves him as the furthest player forward more often than not, and which looks to play with a high attacking line and quick balls upfield. Asking him to play in a deeper, more creative and technical role is asking him to play against type and against his skill set.

Amorim’s system is ideal for Gyökeres. Slot’s at Liverpool could be close enough. Arteta may consider adopting such methods in the long run if he isn’t satisfied by the goal output this season, but didn’t move in such a direction when he had the chance over the summer. Maresca’s set-up at Chelsea looks like an awkward fit.

No doubt other teams will weigh in eventually, and the winner of the bidding war will probably need some significant financial muscle – but while the stories connecting Gyökeres with Manchester United may well be based simply on inference rather than anything tangible, they also make a great deal of sense. Considerable change is coming to Old Trafford, and Gyökeres may well be the best possible striker for Amorim’s needs.