Viktor Gyokeres has ruled out a move to Nottingham Forest this summer as he prepares to depart Sporting CP, a report has claimed.
Gyokeres has been linked with Europe’s elite for the majority of his two-year tenure with Sporting and, after racking up 40 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions this season, is set to depart for pastures new.
The Premier League is expected to be his landing spot and there will be no shortage of suitors. Gyokeres is on the radars of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle United, while reports recently claimed Forest had opened talks over an ambitious swoop for the 26-year-old.
Florian Plettenberg firmly rules out a possible move to Forest for Gyokeres, who has set his sights on joining a team capable of competing for major European honours in the future.
Indeed, a previous report named Arsenal, Liverpool and City as his preferred destinations, with the Premier League seen as the top priority for Gyokeres, who has never played in England’s top flight – he was an unused substitute three times for Brighton & Hove Albion during the 2018/19 season.
A release clause of €100m (£83.6m) scared suitors off last summer but Gyokeres has an agreement with Sporting to leave for less this time around.
Teams looking to sign Gyokeres will be asked to pay around €60m-€70m (£50.2m-£58.5m).
The idea of seeing Gyokeres in the Premier League was of great appeal to his international manager, Jon Dahl Tomasson, who was asked for his verdict on rumours of a possible switch to England.
“Gyokeres would be fantastic in the Premier League,” the Sweden boss insisted. “He could play for any club in the world and he would score a lot of goals anywhere. Him and [Alexander] Isak are two quite different players, but they’re both world-class strikers.”
