Manchester United have received a boost in their pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres after Sporting CP rejected a €70 million offer from Arsenal for the 26-year-old striker, according to a report from Portugal.
The two Premier League rivals are on the hunt for a new number nine this summer with Gyokeres rated highly by the recruitment departments at both the Emirates and Old Trafford, with good reason.
The Swedish international has scored an impressive 54 goals in 52 games for Sporting this season, providing a further 13 assists as well. He has almost single-handedly launched the Lisbon side to an impressive domestic double with Sporting beating out local rivals Benfica to win both Liga Portugal and the Taça de Portugal.
The previous season, Gyokeres scored 43 goals with 15 assists while Sporting won the league again, under Ruben Amorim’s stewardship. This brings the Swede’s total returns since arriving in the Portuguese capital to 97 goals and 28 assists in just 102 games – a truly staggering amount.
It’s evident, therefore, why Amorim is keen to reunite with his former pupil at Old Trafford after enduring a dismal season with the Red Devils since swapping Lisbon for Manchester to replace Erik ten Hag in November.
United’s attack was appalling this season with only four sides in the Premier League scoring fewer goals than the Reds – Everton and the three relegated teams, Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton. It’s little wonder why United finished in 15th with the front half of the team performing at a relegation candidate level.
A new striker is considered an urgent priority by Old Trafford executives with the club identifying Liam Delap as their “first-choice” option given the Ipswich forward’s £30 million relegation clause at Portman Road.
However, despite entering “face-to-face talks” with the 22-year-old, Delap rejected United’s advances in favour of joining Chelsea. But Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reveals Gyokeres has always been the “dream” target for United, suggesting a move for Delap was predicated on price rather than priority.
Romano contends Gyokeres will be allowed to leave Lisbon if Sporting receive a proposal worth around £55 million – a considerable escalation on Delap’s fee, but a significant escalation in player quality as well.
Arsenal have joined United in identifying Gyokeres as a target this summer as they seek to provide Mikel Arteta with a proper goal-scorer up front after the inconsistent performances of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
And according to Correio da Manhã, a Portuguese newspaper, the Gunners have seen a €70 million bid (£59m) for Gyokeres rejected by Sporting, indicating Romano’s assessment was incorrect.
“Sporting have rejected a €70 million offer from Arsenal to sign top scorer Viktor Gyokeres, Correio da Manhã has learned. The Swede’s agent has been in Lisbon since last week and has already met with Sporting officials. He presented a proposal from the Gunners that the Lions ended up rejecting.
“The thing is that Sporting, despite publicly saying that it has not received any contact from the Swede, wants to profit more from its main asset. Arsenal does not seem to be very willing to increase the proposal presented and has reportedly informed the club led by Frederico Varandas that it “will not enter auctions” for the top scorer in Portugal in the last two seasons.”
The fact that Arsenal appear unwilling to “increase the[ir] proposal” could provide United with a window of opportunity to lay down the requisite amount to secure their “dream” target.
The Reds’ budget is limited this summer, due to the constrained financial situation at Old Trafford, but if the club could expedite the sale of a player like Alejandro Garnacho, whose sale would constitute ‘pure profit’ from a PSR perspective due to his academy status, this may provide enough wiggle room to launch a blockbuster raid for Gyokeres.
Featured image Gualter Fatia 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.
