The Portuguese coach has again been asked about his future (Picture: Getty)
Liverpool managerial target Ruben Amorim says he has not given any thought to bringing Viktor Gyokeres with him should he leave Sporting in the summer.
The 39-year-old is now the leading candidate to succeed Jurgen Klopp in the Anfield hotseat after previous favourite Xabi Alonso announced he would be staying at Bundesliga title winners Bayer Leverkusen.
There had been suggestions Amorim had already reached an agreement with Liverpool, but he strongly denied those rumours at a press conference last week.
Still, the speculation linking the Portuguese coach with the Liverpool job – and other posts around Europe – continues, and now the focus is switching to which Sporting players he might take with him when he leaves Lisbon.
Undoubtedly the jewel in Sporting’s crown is top scorer Gyokeres, who has netted 33 goals and laid on 16 assists in 41 appearances across all competitions this season.
Arsenal and Chelsea have both been linked with swoops for the Sweden international, but Amorim says he has not discussed Gyokeres’ future with him and insists their conversations have been strictly about football.
Asked if he would like to take Gyokeres with him to his next club, Amorim replied: ‘I’m not talking about the future. And I say the same thing about him: when he scored a lot of goals, I said that the team didn’t depend on Gyokeres.
‘Now, even though he hasn’t scored, Viktor keeps the players involved and is helping the team to score. The team isn’t so dependent on him, but we need him and we score more with him.’
Gyokeres is currently going through a barren run (Picture: Getty)
On the former Coventry forward, who has not scored in his last four games, Amorim continued: ‘With Viktor I do the same as with the other players, I give him some tips in informal conversations.
‘What I think he needs to do is enjoy the moment, he’s already had a fantastic season and he has to enjoy it.
‘It also has to do with him. Everyone thinks he will always score a hat-trick and if he enjoys the game more, the ball will come to him naturally and he will continue to score goals.’
Gyokeres’ agent, Hasan Cetinkaya, recently conceded that the Swede could look to leave if Amorim goes, telling A Bola: ‘It will be more difficult for Viktor to stay if Ruben Amorim leaves Sporting because Viktor came precisely because of Ruben.’
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He added: ‘I brought him to Sporting because of Ruben Amorim, because I know his work and his work with the players. I chose Ruben because he is a coach at another level.’
Although Amorim pleaded with journalists to stop grilling him about his future at his last press conference, he was once again asked about the speculation on Monday – though in a rather roundabout way.
Probed on whether any of the Sporting players have asked about his future and the continued rumours, Amorim replied: ‘I haven’t had to say anything to the players.
‘When it was being reported that I had an agreement with Liverpool, I felt the need to speak – but I left it for the press conference. I don’t feel any [doubts or questions] from the players, they only ask about time off!’
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