Manchester United’s chances of signing Viktor Gyokeres have significantly improved as a major hurdle has seemingly been removed.
While Arsenal had long been seen as frontrunners for the striker’s signature, United’s chances of winning the race have received a major boost in recent days. Despite United missing out on Champions League football, Gyokeres is now reportedly open to a switch to Old Trafford.
No official talks have taken place between United and Sporting CP yet, but with Ruben Amorim no longer ruling out transfers involving his former club, a reunion with Viktor Gyokeres could now be on the cards, particularly with Arsenal shifting their focus to Benjamin Sesko.
Back in January, Viktor Gyokeres was strongly linked with United, but Amorim had publicly ruled out any moves for Sporting players out of respect for his former team. However, that stance only applied to the January window, making a summer move viable. Gyokeres, who celebrated his 27th birthday on Wednesday, is rumoured to be available for around £60 million—far less than the £85 million release clause inserted in his current contract. Compared to the £72 million United shelled out for Rasmus Hojlund two years ago, it could be seen as a smart piece of business.
That said, his agency fees and potential salary, expected to exceed £250,000 a week, will need serious consideration. Viktor Gyokeres has racked up an astonishing 97 goals in 102 matches for Sporting—and although he’s earning £39,000 per week at Sporting, he’s expected to demand a weekly salary roughly seven times that.
Only five current United players earn more than £250,000 a week. Of those, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Casemiro are all expected to depart, while the other two, Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount, are also linked with exits. This means Gyokeres is likely to be one of the highest-paid players, if not the highest-paid player, at United if he joins.
It comes as a result of owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe looking to tighten certain purse strings to ensure the club complies with PSR regulations. But although United need to tread carefully, the opportunity to sign a player of Gyokeres’ calibre may be too good to resist.
Big clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City already have elite strikers, and other Premier League rivals seem to be targeting alternatives. Chelsea beat United to Liam Delap earlier this week and are now focused on Hugo Ekitike—a player Liverpool are also interested in.
That leaves United with something of a free run at Viktor Gyokeres, at least as things stand. The club has already invested £62.5 million in Matheus Cunha and are pushing for a similar deal involving Bryan Mbeumo. But with several attackers likely to be offloaded, there’s likely to be space in both the squad and on the wage bill to make further additions.
If United manages to land Victor Gyokeres, it would be a statement signing that could reignite their firepower and lift them out of the doldrums of last season. But at a time of tight budgets and careful calculations, it’s a high-stakes move—and one the club can’t really afford to get wrong.Manchester United’s chances of signing Viktor Gyokeres have significantly improved as a major hurdle has seemingly been removed.
While Arsenal had long been seen as frontrunners for the striker’s signature, United’s chances of winning the race have received a major boost in recent days. Despite United missing out on Champions League football, Gyokeres is now reportedly open to a switch to Old Trafford.
No official talks have taken place between United and Sporting CP yet, but with Ruben Amorim no longer ruling out transfers involving his former club, a reunion with Gyokeres could now be on the cards, particularly with Arsenal shifting their focus to Benjamin Sesko.
Back in January, Gyokeres was strongly linked with United, but Amorim had publicly ruled out any moves for Sporting players out of respect for his former team. However, that stance only applied to the January window, making a summer move viable. Gyokeres, who celebrated his 27th birthday on Wednesday, is rumoured to be available for around £60 million—far less than the £85 million release clause inserted in his current contract. Compared to the £72 million United shelled out for Rasmus Hojlund two years ago, it could be seen as a smart piece of business.
That said, his agency fees and potential salary, expected to exceed £250,000 a week, will need serious consideration. Gyokeres has racked up an astonishing 97 goals in 102 matches for Sporting—and although he’s earning £39,000 per week at Sporting, he’s expected to demand a weekly salary roughly seven times that.
Only five current United players earn more than £250,000 a week. Of those, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Casemiro are all expected to depart, while the other two, Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount, are also linked with exits. This means Gyokeres is likely to be one of the highest-paid players, if not the highest-paid player, at United if he joins.
It comes as a result of owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe looking to tighten certain purse strings to ensure the club complies with PSR regulations. But although United need to tread carefully, the opportunity to sign a player of Gyokeres’ calibre may be too good to resist.
Big clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City already have elite strikers, and other Premier League rivals seem to be targeting alternatives. Chelsea beat United to Liam Delap earlier this week and are now focused on Hugo Ekitike—a player Liverpool are also interested in.
That leaves United with something of a free run at Gyokeres, at least as things stand. The club has already invested £62.5 million in Matheus Cunha and are pushing for a similar deal involving Bryan Mbeumo. But with several attackers likely to be offloaded, there’s likely to be space in both the squad and on the wage bill to make further additions.
If United manages to land Gyokeres, it would be a statement signing that could reignite their firepower and lift them out of the doldrums of last season. But at a time of tight budgets and careful calculations, it’s a high-stakes move—and one the club can’t really afford to get wrong.
