Features
Liverpool must use key advantage to beat Arsenal & Chelsea to Viktor Gyokeres
Gyokeres wanted by several European clubs following fine debut season with Sporting CP
Arsenal and Chelsea interested but Liverpool should consider move
Current Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim, linked with Liverpool, could be key to any deal

By Sean Walsh
Apr 12, 2024
Gyokeres is in demand
Gyokeres is in demand / Gualter Fatia/GettyImages
Where last summer's transfer window featured a merry-go-round of midfielders, this year's is expected to revolve around strikers.

The forward market isn't as reliable and potent as it once was. For the most part, Europe's elite will have to compromise with some of their own expectations or take a punt in order to land a potential scoring hero.

On the move is expected to be Viktor Gyokeres, who has registered 36 goals and 15 assists in 42 games for Sporting CP since making the move to Lisbon last summer.

It isn't surprising he's been so heavily linked with a move away from Sporting already, but what was notable was a lack of interest from the Premier League last summer upon his exit from Championship play-off runners-up Coventry City. Now, England's elite are interested in bringing him back from mainland Europe.

Arsenal and Chelsea are both monitoring the Sweden international, whose contract contains an £86m release clause, but there's perhaps a need for one of their main rivals to consider a move instead.

Ruben Amorim
Amorim is the leading contender for the Liverpool job / Emilio Andreoli/GettyImages
Why Liverpool should consider signing Gyokeres
Liverpool haven't had an out-and-out reliable centre forward since the days of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge. Jurgen Klopp's tenure has been underpinned by goal contributions from wide areas, with Mohamed Salah and formerly Sadio Mane often carrying the scoring load.

But as this long season to end the Klopp era has wound down, it's become increasingly obvious the Reds need some reinforcements up front, maybe if only to ease the pressure on the next manager.

90min understands Gyokeres' current boss, Ruben Amorim, is the leading contender for the job, though a deal has not yet been agreed. Should Amorim take the gig, he'd turn up to Anfield with a rebuild needed in attack.

The future of Salah remains uncertain with his contract up in 2025 and interest from Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad, while Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez are a far cry from prime Roberto Firmino and Mane. Diogo Jota is tremendous, but spends huge chunks of time on the treatment table.

An Amorim-led Liverpool would also have a crucial advantage if they decided to enter the Gyokeres sweepstakes, too.

In a recent interview with Portuguese outlet Record, Gyokeres' agent Hasan Cetinkaya said: "It will be more difficult for Viktor to stay if Ruben Amorim leaves Sporting, because Viktor came precisely because of Ruben. They day we met, I said to Ruben, 'Here is my boy, he came to Sporting because of you'.

"Obviously, I will have to talk to the president, the president is the boss, the one who makes the decisions, and we will have to know what he thinks for the future and what Sporting's project is, but Viktor also has a say, obviously, and if Ruben Amorim leaves, it will be more difficult to continue."

Darwin Nunez
Nunez isn't in the best of form / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages
Following Nunez's gaffes in recent high-profile matches, it's easy to imagine Liverpool remaining hesitant over spending such a sum on another Portuguese league forward again, but there are clear stylistic differences between him and Gyokeres.

Where Nunez's immense physical gifts have not yet been tamed - and at this rate never will be - Gyokeres is comfortable in his skin as a powerful yet elegant big-man. It's no surprise the Uruguayan has been shunted to the wing so often when the going gets tough.

Nunez's numbers in Portugal - 34 goals in 41 games in his final season with Benfica - are at least comparable to Gyokeres', but even then there were question marks raised about his erratic style. Is he ever going to be a clinical threat? And ultimately, can you really take a Nunez into a Premier League title-race gun-fight?

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FC Barcelona
Xavi confirms decision to drop Barcelona star from matchday squad to face Cadiz
Gundogan will not feature for Barcelona against Cadiz on Saturday
Veteran midfielder has played in every game of the season so far
Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann has criticised Barcelona's use of Gundogan

By Tom Gott
Apr 12, 2024
Gundogan is set to miss out against Cadiz
Gundogan is set to miss out against Cadiz / Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/GettyImages
Barcelona manager Xavi has confirmed he plans to rest Ilkay Gundogan and leave the midfielder out of Saturday's squad to face Cadiz.

Gundogan, 33, has played in every game of the season so far for Barcelona and has missed just 429 minutes from a possible 3,980, with his heavy workload in Catalonia attracting criticism from Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann.

With Barcelona braced for the return leg of their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, Gundogan is set to be given the chance to rest his legs.

"We want to give him a rest," Xavi explained in Friday's press conference. "It's a shame that he doesn't participate, but we want him to rest.

"He's not a teenager. His performance is brutal and we'll see if he rests tomorrow."

Ilkay Gundogan
No player has played more minutes for Barcelona this season than Gundogan / Franco Arland/GettyImages
Perhaps not coincidentally, Gundogan is one yellow card away from a suspension in La Liga. Had he picked up a caution against Cadiz, he would then be banned for the clash with Real Madrid later this month.

Robert Lewandowski, Joao Cancelo and Inigo Martinez are all serving domestic bans but will then be free to face the La Liga leaders on April 21.

Xavi went on to admit that he could make a number of changes to his starting lineup and even teased a first senior appearance for 19-year-old centre-back Mikayil Faye.

"He is prepared and can play," Xavi said of the in-demand defender. "We are looking at many footballers: Faye, [Marc] Casado and many more. The academy has always produced."

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Championship leaders Leicester stunned by
Mustapha Bundu’s winner for Plymouth

Leaders Leicester missed the chance to move clear at the top of the Championship as they suffered a shock 1-0 defeat away to relegation-threatened Plymouth, thanks to Mustapha Bundu’s 21st-minute winner.

Second-placed Ipswich remain level on points with the Foxes, with Leeds a point further back ahead of their games on Saturday with all three clubs currently having four matches left.

Managerless Argyle climbed to 16th on the back of their first home win in seven, under the caretaker management team of director of football Neil Dewsnip and first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell and now sit five points clear of the bottom three.

It only took five minutes for Leicester to test home goalkeeper Michael Cooper as Abdul Fatawu’s thumping right-footed shot – following a flowing move – forcing him into a diving save low down to his left.

Ricardo Pereira was next to test Cooper, following a defence-splitting one-two with Wilfred Ndidi. Again it was all diving Cooper could do to parry the ball away.

Stephy Mavididi latched on to the aerial ball and headed it back across the goal, which resulted in a goalmouth scramble and Argyle eventually clearing the ball.

Mavididi went close with a curling 13th-minute shot after being teed up by playmaker Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall on the edge of the box. The attacking midfielder’s shot beat Cooper for pace but flew just past the post.

Totally against the run of play, Plymouth stunned their visitors with a 21st-minute goal on the counter.

Adam Forshaw intercepted a Leicester attack and released recalled striker Bundu with a superb, measured pass through the middle of the park.

Bundu sprinted forward and – as he got into the penalty box – let fly with a fierce angled drive from the right that beat diving Mads Hermansen and rocketed into the far corner.

Harry Winks fired wide from 20 yards as Argyle failed to clear their lines following another City corner with the half-hour mark approaching.

Argyle’s next best chance fell to Bundu, after good work by Forshaw and substitute Joe Edwards, but this time the striker fired high over.

Cooper did well to save low at his near post as Dewsbury-Hall fired across the face of goal in the 44th minute from close range.

Cooper was again called into action early in the second half as he made another save, while Dewsbury-Hall tried his luck from 25 yards moments later.

Central defender Dan Scarr did well to stoop and head a pacy Fatawu cross from the right away at the near post as Leicester continued to press or an equaliser.

Fatawu’s next cross from the right – after 56 minutes – found striker Patson Daka and his deft near-post touch beat Cooper but spun past the far upright.

Daka’s last action was firing wide when well placed at the far post after 67 minutes. He was replaced by former England international striker Jamie Vardy.

With just over 15 minutes remaining, Wout Faes’ cross from the right was smashed towards goal by Mavididi but again, Cooper was equal to the effort.

Cooper made an even better stop, bravely diving in to deny Vardy as the Leicester striker broke into the box, one-on-one, in the 88th minute but the hosts held on for the much-needed victory.