Dimitar Berbatov names the one Sporting Lisbon star he thinks will follow Ruben Amorim to Man United – as he bemoans the Red Devils’ ’embarrassing’ weakness

Dimitar Berbatov has picked out one Sporting Lisbon star that he thinks will join Manchester United under Ruben Amorim.

Amorim, 39, was confirmed as United’s new boss last Friday, but he won’t start work until Monday, November 11.

The Portuguese has had a major impact with Sporting over the past four-and-a-half years, leading the club to two Primeira Liga titles and two domestic cups.

Amorim will take over a United team who have been badly struggling so far this season, with the Red Devils 13th in the Premier League table and yet to win in the Europa League.

The 39-year-old is expected to reshape United’s squad over the coming years and former United star Berbatov highlighted one player he thinks Amorim will try to bring with him from Sporting.

Berbatov claimed that he thought the star would follow Ruben Amorim to Old Trafford

The former United star backed Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres to move to the Premier League

‘It’s interesting because this guy Viktor Gyokeres,’ he said on Monday Night Football. 

‘He is scoring goals for fun right now. So I think there is a special connection with the coach so maybe we could see him in a United shirt. 

‘For what he is showing right now I think yes (I would like to see United sign him).

‘Because our strikers at the moment are not doing and producing the goals like we see from Viktor Gyokeres, 16 in the league, which is embarrassing for the stature of a club like United.

‘So this is a position that I would like to see improvement in.’

Gyokeres, 26, has had an arduous route to the top. The Swedish striker, who has scored 10 goals in 24 caps for his country, made his name at Coventry City after failing to break through at Brighton.

Gyokeres scored 43 goals in 116 games for the Sky Blues, before earning a €24million (£20.15m) move to Sporting in the summer of 2023.

In Lisbon, the 26-year-old has had a remarkable impact, netting 63 times and adding 19 assists in just 66 games.

This has included 20 goals in 16 matches this season and Gyokeres has a release clause of €100m (£84m), something that has alerted several major clubs across Europe, including Arsenal.

Speaking last Friday after he scored four in Sporting’s 5-1 victory against Estrela, Gyokeres was pressed on the matter and refused to rule out a move to the Premier League.

‘Going with Amorim to Man Utd? I don’t know… I’m here,’ he said. ‘As you can see, I enjoy it at Sporting. It’s nothing I think about. I’m just sad about him (Amorim) leaving. We wish him all the best.

Gyokeres has scored 63 times and added 19 assists in just 66 games for the Portuguese side

Amorim previously insisted that he would not sign any players from Sporting in January

‘Of course it’s not a normal situation, but we won 5-1 and the team reacted very well. We are professionals and we have to continue like this. We are sad that he is leaving, he is a great professional, he was fantastic for us, but we have to adapt. 

‘It is difficult to talk about the future, but we will certainly do the same job and continue to give our best. We wish him the best. It is very good for him.’

Meanwhile, Amorim was also questioned on whether he would look to Sporting for recruits while he was at United.

‘Gyokeres costs €100million and it’s very difficult,’ he said. ‘I’m not going to get any players from Sporting in January.’