Betting Odds on Viktor Gyökeres' Next Club

Sporting, United or Barcelona?

Viktor Gyökeres is the most hyped Swede since Zlatan Ibrahimović. In just a couple of years, he has skyrocketed from the Championship to the heights of European football, delivering hat-tricks against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City along the way. He is one of the top four scorers in this Champions League. The odds on him finishing as the tournament's top scorer have already dropped fivefold.

Viktor Gyökeres to Score most goals in UCL 24/25

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8/1

European giants have already lined up for the Swedish star of Hungarian descent. Let's dive into whether he will stay at Sporting until the end of the winter transfer window. And if he moves, where might he go? In our analysis, we'll cover the main contenders and, as always, the best betting options.

Gyökeres To sign for before 3rd February

Why Gyökeres Is So Impressive

To understand why all of Europe is buzzing about Gyökeres, you only need to look at what he’s accomplished in just the last couple of seasons.

First, he nearly led Coventry to the Premier League for the first time in over 20 years. Then, he dominated the Portuguese League and the Nations League. This year, he went on a 9-match goal streak across all competitions. And just recently, he scored 4 goals against Azerbaijan. The last Swedish player to achieve such a feat was Zlatan Ibrahimović, who did so in 2004.

The Accomplishment of Gyökeres

Stay in Portugal

Gyökeres might follow Caesar's famous principle of preferring to be "first in the village rather than second in Rome." Another legendary Swede, Henrik Larsson, spent his golden years at Celtic, winning the European Golden Boot, and only moved to the top leagues later in his career.

If Viktor sees himself as a Memphis Depay-type player—one who shines in Ligue 1 but struggles to stand out at Barcelona—he might decide not to rush into a transfer. In interviews with Swedish media, he has already admitted that he’s quite content at Sporting.

There are also objective financial reasons. Even the wealthiest giants are reluctant to pay the £83 million release clause and prefer to wait until summer, when they could save £25 million and secure the star at a more reasonable transfer fee. After all, even Real Madrid chose to wait for Kylian Mbappé’s contract with PSG to expire rather than pay his buyout clause.

Moving to England

Whenever a potential superstar emerges on the European scene, there’s a 50/50 chance they’ll end up at an English club. Among them, Manchester United often leads the charge, earning a reputation as the "career killer of promising talents."

Manchester United's Most Expensive Signings in the Last 5 Years

Yes, Manchester United may not always allow players to fully thrive, but they consistently win the battle to sign them. Several factors work in United’s favor in this case. First, the Red Devils are led by former Sporting manager Rúben Amorim, who knows Gyökeres inside out.

The Portuguese tradition of bringing former protégés to their new elite clubs is well-documented—just think of José Mourinho, who brought Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira with him from Porto to Chelsea. More recently, the now-dismissed Erik ten Hag followed a similar pattern, bringing his favorites Antony and Lisandro Martínez from Ajax to Old Trafford.

Man Utd to sign Gyökeres before 3rd February

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4/1

Secondly, a well-established transfer pipeline exists between Manchester and Lisbon. Two of the most iconic "Red Devils" of the past 20 years came to the club directly from Sporting—none other than Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes.

However, Gyökeres' move could be hindered by a "gentleman’s agreement" reportedly made between Manchester United and Sporting. According to renowned journalist and insider Fabrizio Romano, such an agreement might complicate the deal.

Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal

Amorim has made it clear that he would like to strengthen the attack at his new club, and Gyökeres is a key target. However, this move is more likely to happen in the summer. One of the main competitors for his signature will be Manchester City'.

This summer, Hugo Viana is set to become City’s full-fledged sporting director. Guess his former club? That’s right—Sporting. Viana knows Gyökeres inside out as well and was the mastermind behind Sporting’s £20 million purchase of him from Coventry a year and a half ago.

City may already have Erling Haaland, but they’ve yet to find him a proper "co-pilot" after selling Julián Álvarez to Atlético Madrid. The impatient City owners, unbound by any gentleman's agreements, might decide not to wait until summer.

Man City to sign Gyökeres before 3rd February

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14/1

Rumors have long linked Gyökeres with the Gunners. The Swede, alongside Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, is seen as one of the top options to bolster Arsenal’s attack. Back in the summer, Arteta was keen on signing Gyökeres, but the deal fell through over the asking price.

Money remains a sticking point now, but as we’ve seen, when the need is great, Arsenal can open their wallets. In 2023, they splashed out a massive £105 million—uncharacteristically high for Arsenal—to bring Declan Rice from West Ham.

When it comes to big mid-season transfers, the London club is one of the leaders among British teams. Even Arteta himself joined Arsenal as a player during a winter window, setting an example of impactful January moves.

Top 5 Arsenal mid-season transfers

Chelsea appears to be the least likely of the English contenders to become Gyökeres' next club. The Blues missed out on signing Jhon Duran and Samu Aghehowa over the summer, and now Christopher Nkunku is reportedly unhappy with his playing time and considering leaving Stamford Bridge. While Chelsea clearly needs a strong striker, the question is—does Gyökeres need them?

Sources close to the Swedish star suggest he is targeting a club that competes in the Champions League. Chelsea, however, are currently in the Europa Conference League. Yes, they’re holding onto third place in the Premier League, but they’re level on points with the fifth-placed team, making their UCL qualification uncertain.

Continental Europe

Bayern Munich, having recently secured Harry Kane, no longer needs a striker. Instead, they are now focused on spending an amount similar to Gyökeres' release clause to sign Florian Wirtz, who has been dazzling in the Champions League and the recent European Championship.

Bayern to sign Gyökeres before 3rd February

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16/1

Real Madrid, the ultimate "superstar magnet," is not in the race for Gyökeres due to their forward line featuring Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé. Barcelona, while reportedly very interested according to local media, would likely only sign him in the summer. Even then, they might leave him on loan until Robert Lewandowski's contract expires.

Barcelona to sign Gyökeres before 3rd February

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20/1

Finally, PSG, who initially made contact with Gyökeres' agent, have already scaled back their efforts to sign him. Perhaps they are hoping for a quick recovery of Gonçalo Ramos, or maybe they are more focused on adhering to Financial Fair Play regulations.

PSG to sign Gyökeres before 3rd February

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33/1

Epilogue

Bookmakers have a great sense of the transfer market. In 4 out of the 5 most high-profile transfers in recent years, they accurately predicted the geographical direction, and in half of those cases, they correctly predicted the club. Cristiano Ronaldo was sent to Saudi Arabia, Haaland to Manchester City, Mbappé to Real Madrid, and Messi to Inter Miami. The only exception was Jude Bellingham, who was linked to one of the English clubs, specifically Manchester City.

Currently, betting companies suggest that Gyökeres will finish the season at Sporting. He himself has publicly stated that he doesn’t want to leave the club midway through the season, and the club’s bosses hope to maximize the potential of their current squad.

80 percent of the most expensive transfers happen in the summer, and it’s likely that Gyökeres will leave Portugal then. He has already made some personal changes—breaking up with footballer Amanda Nildén and now dating the famous actress Inês Aguiar. Now, it’s time for the big move to a top club.