According to reports, Manchester United are at risk of being hijacked in the race to sign Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres after a ‘direct call’.
Gyokeres is on the radar of several clubs this summer as he scored 54 goals for Sporting Lisbon in all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign.
The prolific striker is a leading contender to be this year’s top scorer in Europe and he’s expected to earn himself a major transfer this summer.
Man Utd have been heavily linked with Gyokeres in recent months as they are in the market for a new striker and he has a strong relationship with head coach Ruben Amorim after they worked with each other at Sporting Lisbon.
It had been feared that the Red Devils could miss out on their priority transfer targets after failing to qualify for Europe by finishing 15th in the Premier League and losing in the Europa League final.
However, their recent business proves they still have great pulling power as Bryan Mbuemo is reportedly likely to follow Matheus Cunha in joining Man Utd and this would be another statement signing.
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Mbeumo and Cunha are going to bolster Man Utd’s attacking midfield options, while Gyokeres would be a clear upgrade on their current strikers.
Last week, a report claimed Gyokeres is ‘very keen’ to sign for the Red Devils, but they face competition from potential rivals.
Arsenal initially looked like his most likely destination, but they appear to be focusing on Benjamin Sesko, while Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal have come sniffing after being rejected by Victor Osimhen.
Fresh reports have indicated that Serie A giants Juventus are also in the running to sign Gyokeres, with Fabrizio Romano confirming they have “called” to remain informed of his situation.
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Romano revealed: “We know it’s complicated for Italian clubs to make these kinds of deals.
“I’m not saying Juventus will sign Gyokeres, but I can guarantee that Juventus called over the weekend to be informed about the situation.”
A report from Italian outlet TuttoSport suggests Juventus are ‘working to convince’ Gyokeres and ‘snatch the yes’ from rivals as he is their ‘dream’ signing.
It is noted that there were initially ‘meetings through intermediaries last week’ before ‘direct calls’ were made to his team over the weekend.
The report adds:
‘The idea is to constantly monitor the situation before launching the decisive attack, thus moving on to the offer capable of putting the Bianconeri in pole position. It won’t be immediate, but it will be quick.’
