Gyökeres: the striker daring to challenge Kane | OneFootball

Viktor Gyökeres believes he has earned a seat at football’s top table alongside the likes of Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane. In an interview with L'Équipe, cited by FCBInside, the Sporting Lisbon striker was clear in his self-assessment: "I am definitely there. It's hard to say exactly where I stand—but yes, I'm in the same league as them now.” For Gyökeres, “them” means Kane, Erling Haaland, and Robert Lewandowski—the standard-bearers for elite European centre-forwards.

The Swedish forward’s confidence is backed up by a striking goal record. Last season, Gyökeres scored 54 goals in just 52 appearances for Sporting and has accumulated 97 goals in 102 matches since joining the Portuguese champions. His productivity has naturally drawn attention from Europe's biggest clubs, with Arsenal leading the chase for his signature. Interest from Bayern Munich has also been reported in the past.

However, the path out of Lisbon is not yet straightforward. According to FCBInside, Sporting are insisting on an €83 million transfer fee, even though Gyökeres’s contract is understood to include a €100 million release clause. There are claims of an internal agreement that would allow him to leave for around €70 million, but the club appears to be holding firm for now, prompting Arsenal to hesitate in negotiations.

Gyökeres’s determination to secure a move has been underlined by his recent absence from Sporting’s pre-season training, a move widely interpreted in Portugal as an attempt to force through a transfer. Reports suggest he has made it clear to club officials that he no longer intends to play for Sporting, making a resolution likely in the coming weeks.

For Bayern, the comparison feels especially pointed. Kane arrived at the Allianz Arena last summer and delivered as expected, confirming his place among the world’s top centre-forwards. Gyökeres’s assertion that he now belongs to that select group is both a public statement of intent and an invitation for Europe’s elite to judge him on equal footing. “You haven’t seen the best Gyökeres yet,” he promised in the L'Équipe interview—signalling that he considers his career highlights still to come.

Whether his next chapter plays out in the Premier League or Bundesliga is yet to be seen. But Gyökeres is clearly determined not only to earn a big move, but to be mentioned in the same breath as Kane. His stats and attitude suggest he just might be ready to back that up.