Gaetan Bong admits he never expected Viktor Gyokeres to achieve stardom. The Nottingham Forest defender, who shared a locker room with Gyokeres at Brighton, recalls a young striker who seemed far from exceptional.
“He was combative but flawed,” Bong told RMC Sport, comparing him unfavorably to Glenn Murray, Brighton’s then-lead striker.
Gyokeres joined Brighton in 2018 after impressing with Brommapojkarna in Sweden. Yet, his stint on the south coast was underwhelming, with just one goal in eight appearances before a £1m move to Coventry.
It was at Coventry where Gyokeres transformed, delivering 17 goals and five assists in the 2021/22 Championship season.
Fast forward to now, and Gyokeres is among Europe’s hottest attacking talents. The 26-year-old, currently at Sporting Lisbon, has drawn interest from giants like Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and PSG.
Sporting values him at £63m, and even Manchester United has reportedly been advised by Ruben Amorim, Gyokeres’ former manager, to secure his signing.
Sporting remains firm on keeping Gyokeres, who’s contracted until 2028. However, Gyokeres has hinted at ambitions to join one of Europe’s top teams. Arsenal are amongst the top teams to go and sign the swedish striker
Speaking to Marca, he said, “There are many rumors, but we’ll see what happens when the time comes.” At just 26, with 31 goals in 29 games this season, Gyokeres’ meteoric rise shows no signs of slowing down.