Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United this summer thanks to his working relationship with Ruben Amorim
Manchester United may have missed out on the signing of Viktor Gyokeres this summer with news that he has reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Arsenal.
United are keen to add at least one striker to their ranks this summer and Sporting’s Gyokeres has been heavily linked with Old Trafford. Head coach Ruben Amorim signed the Swede from Coventry City in 2023 and managed to forge him into a prolific striker in Portugal before exiting the club in November 2024.
At the end of last season, Gyokeres had managed to bag a whopping 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting. Considering the lack of goals in the United squad at present, it was seen as a logical step for the Reds to go after the 27-year-old.
However, it appears the race for Gyokeres could have been run. Along with United, Arsenal have been heavily invested in the Swede and their interest dates back further than the Reds.
Like Amorim, Mikel Arteta has been keen to strengthen his attack having been left with no recognised centre-forwards for large parts of the second portion of the season. According to L’Equipe, the Gunners are closing in on rectifying that as they near a verbal agreement with Gyokeres’ team over personal terms for the striker.
Journalist Sacha Tavolieri has gone a step further though and claims that Arsenal have an agreement over a five-year deal with Gyokeres’ agent and that the north London club are now turning their focus to negotiations with Sporting over a transfer fee.
The Portuguese club have already confirmed that they will not hold out for £85m this summer but they will not sell their talisman for as little as £60m.
Ironically, should Arsenal get the signing of Gyokeres over the line, the centre-forward could make his Premier League debut for the Gunners against United at Old Trafford.
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.