Manchester City are putting contingency plans in place just in case they lose Erling Haaland to Real Madrid next summer, according to Sky Sports Switzerland.
It is believed that the Norwegian has a €150m (£125m) release clause in his contract and there is a chance that Real will trigger it.
With that being the case, new Director of Football Hugo Viana is said to be considering raiding his former club Sporting Lisbon for a replacement.
Sky report that Viana is “already in contact” with the representatives of Viktor Gyokeres, who they have labelled the “new Haaland”.
The former Coventry City striker has a buyout fee of his own worth €100m (£83m) and Sporting will demand that the figure is paid in full.
Gyokeres has been linked with several Premier League clubs
Journalist Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Arsenal have been keeping tabs on the Swedish international, while other sources have linked Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool with the player over the past year.
City’s interest is rather new, though, and the influence of Viana seems to be playing a key role here. Sky claim that Gyokeres is a “priority” target for the new sporting director.
What are the chances of Haaland leaving City?
It should be pointed out that the journalist who wrote the Sky Sports Switzerland article, Sacha Tavolieri, is very hit-and-miss when it comes to transfer stories.
Haaland does have a release clause in his contract but some have reported it as being as high as €200m (£167m). That is not the sort of fee that any club would be willing to pay.
The player will still have two years left on his current deal at the end of the season so there is no pressure to sell him unless Real or another team are prepared to shell out a ridiculous amount of money.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
