Gaetan Bong says there was ‘nothing to suggest’ Sporting sensation Viktor Gyokeres would ‘explode one day’ given he was ‘far from the level of Glenn Murray’ during their time together at Brighton.
A teenage Gyokeres caught the attention of Brighton scouts with his goalscoring exploits for Swedish outfit Brommapojkarna and the attacker went on to complete a move to the Amex Stadium in January 2018.
But Gyokeres failed to make an impression on the south coast, scoring just one goal in eight appearances for the Seagulls’ first-team before sealing a £1million transfer to Coventry following an initial loan move.
Gyokeres’ took his game to a new level across a magnificent 2021/22 season with Coventry, in which the Sweden international racked up 17 goals and five assists in the Championship.
In the years that have followed, Gyokeres’ stock has risen exponentially at and the 26-year-old is now considered to be among the most sought-after attacking players in European football.
The likes of Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have all been linked with Gyokeres, who is reportedly valued at around £63million by Sporting.
Old Trafford has also been mooted as a possible destination and Ruben Amorim – Gyokeres’ former manager in Lisbon – has reportedly instructed Manchester United to get a deal done for the Sweden international this month.
Gyokeres’ rise has been nothing short of meteoric and Nottingham Forest full-back Bong admits he never saw it coming having shared a dressing room with the attacker at Brighton.
‘Everyone who knew him in his early days in England will tell you the same thing. He was a decent and combative striker, but without disrespect, he had quite a few faults,’ Bong told RMC Sport.
‘There was nothing to suggest that he was going to explode one day.’
The Cameroon international added: ‘I remember seeing this guy come into the changing room who didn’t look like much.
‘It was surprising to see him there because Brighton were used to recruiting people who were fast and not bothered with the ball for their position, already had an imposing physique.
‘But how can I put it… technically and in his finishing, it was… mediocre, for example, he was far from the level of Glenn Murray, who was our starting No.9.’
Sporting are determined to keep hold of Gyokeres this winter, with the ex-Brighton man tied into a contract until 2028.
But last month, Gyokeres – who has scored 31 goals in 29 games this season – outlined his ambitions to play for ‘one of the top teams in Europe’ down the line.
Asked for an update on his future, Gyokeres told Marca: ‘We will see. There are many rumours circulating, but we are in the middle of the season and there are still many months left.
‘We will see when the time comes what will happen.’
Quizzed on where he sees himself playing at the age of 30, Gyokeres responded: ‘Playing for one of the best teams in Europe. That is the objective.’
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