Juventus are increasingly confident of winning the race to sign Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres despite interest from Manchester United, according to a report from Italy.
Corriere dello Sport reveals Gyokeres is an “obsession” for the Old Lady with club executives seeking to “close a deal” ahead of other suitors.
Gyokeres has a €100 million release clause with Sporting but there is a gentleman’s agreement in place which would see the Liga Portugal champions consider offers around the €70 million mark (£59m).
However, Sporting president Frederico Varandas has reportedly reneged on this promise, instead demanding €80 million amid growing interest in the Swedish international across Europe, as well as the Saudi Pro League.
This has infuriated Gyokeres, who has informed his club he will never play for them again as he feels “disrespected” by the refusal to honour the agreement made at the start of last season, The Peoples Person relayed this morning.
Gyokeres’ Reunion With Amorim
United are exploring a deal to reunite Gyokeres with Ruben Amorim, the manager who brought the Swede to Lisbon in 2023 and helped develop him into one of Europe’s deadliest forwards.
But the the Red Devils have already spent £62.5 million to trigger Matheus Cunha’s release clause with Wolverhampton Wanderers and are locked in negotiations with Brentford over a deal for Bryan Mbeumo at a similar price point.
The club remains intent on signing a new number nine, with Amorim actively pushing for his former pupil, but the budget at Old Trafford means United will likely have to sell before advancing a move for Gyokeres.
This gives Juventus a window of opportunity to strike as the Italian giant seeks to buttress Igor Tudor’s misfiring forward line. Gyokeres is seen as the perfect antidote; a signing who would send a “powerful signal” to their Serie A rivals, Corriere dello Sport contends.
The report reveals United have been in “pole position for weeks” but are unable to quickly close a deal for the Sporting frontman, despite Fabrizio Romano revealing the Reds “called” Gyokeres’ representatives over the weekend (as relayed by Manchester World).
Juventus, by contrast, are prepared to move now for Gyokeres.
Juventus Aim to Strike for the Swedish Striker
The Old Lady had considered a raid for Victor Osimhen, who is set to return to Napoli from Galatasaray this month, but the club are ready to redirect these funds towards the other goal-scoring Viktor, with Romano contending Juventus also made contact with Gyokeres’ agent over the weekend.
This could prove a decisive blow for United’s pursuit of Gyokeres while simultaneously elevating their position in the race for Osimhen. The Nigeria international turned down a blockbuster contract proposal from Al-Hilal over the weekend, signalling his intention to remain in Europe.
The Reds hold a long-standing interest in Osimhen whose contract in Naples contains a release clause worth around €75 million this summer. Juventus were actively pursuing the 26-year-old while Premier League rivals Arsenal and Chelsea are also admirers.
But Juventus look set to focus on Gyokeres while Arsenal are targeting Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig) and Chelsea have signed Liam Delap and continue to explore a deal for Hugo Ekitike (Eintracht Frankfurt).
This drastically narrows the number of clubs who Osimhen would have considered joining this summer, potentially giving a lightening bolt to United in their pursuit with a much stronger hand in negotiations with the Nigerian striker.
Featured image Carlos Rodrigues via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
