‘Probably not’: Manager states Viktor Gyokeres was unlikely to join Everton in the summer

Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim has stated that forward Viktor Gyokeres did not want to join Everton last summer.

The Swedish international was consistently linked with a move to Goodison Park after an impressive season at Championship side Coventry City.

Indeed, after scoring 21 goals and contributing a further 12 assists, Gyokeres caught the eye of teams throughout Europe, with Everton strongly linked with the 25-year-old.

However, the striker completed a £20m move to Portuguese side Sporting CP in August, and now manager Amorim has revealed that the Premier League clubs who looked at the forward did not interest him.

Speaking with A Bola, Amorim said: “He really wanted to come to Sporting. We saw the offers, (Hugo) Viana (Sporting Director) showed me the proposals that the player had.

He understood the project. He is a very ambitious player. And the clubs he had (trying to sign him) were probably not the ones he wants to go to in the Premier League.”

Viktor Gyokeres snubbed five PL clubs for Sporting CP

Everton and Wolves were two of the reported five Premier League sides said to be interested in the Swede, though Brentford were thought to be leading the race for his signature following Ivan Toney’s eight-month ban for betting offences.

However, the 25-year-old snubbed a move to the English top-flight in favour of a switch to one of Portugal’s premier clubs, Sporting CP.

The Toffees instead opted for £26m forward Beto from Serie A side Udinese, who has scored one goal in his three games so far for Everton, though the 25-year-old cut an isolated figure upfront at the weekend.

Indeed, if chances are created for the Portuguese forward, he will no doubt score them, though not a single chance was created for the Everton new boy in 90 minutes.

Gyokeres has already scored three goals in five games in his debut campaign in the Primera Liga, continuing his rich run of form in front of goal.