Deal Completed: Manchester United finally completes the signing of £98million striker who has been on their radar for years- Medical completed and Five-years deal signed
Manchester United and Arsenal are looking to improve their respective striking departments. The Gunners want an upgrade on Kai Havertz.
On the other hand, the Red Devils need to replace the likes of Hojlund and Zirkzee, who managed to score a combined 7 goals in the Premier League last term.
Both Arsenal and Man Utd have been after Sporting CP star, Viktor Gyokeres, but the latest updates suggest that the north Londoners are now focusing on signing Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig.
As per today’s version of Diario Sport, Arsenal are close to signing the Slovenian center forward for a fee of 75 million euros (£64.4m) plus add-ons.
Mikel Arteta’s team had a verbal agreement in place to sign Gyokeres but that broke down as negotiations were made extremely hard by Sporting president, Federico Varandas.
The Spanish media outlet have mentioned that the Swedish star has an agreement with the Lions to leave for 60 million euros.
However, that might not be true as if the price was 60 million euros, Arsenal would have pushed to get the deal done instead of paying around over 75 million euros for Sesko.
With Gyokeres ‘moving away’ from Arsenal, who are focusing on Sesko, Man Utd now have a clearer path to reunite the Swede with Amorim at Old Trafford.
As per recent reports in Portugal, O Jogo, a fee of 80 million euros (£68.3m) will be needed to hire the services of the Liga Nos striker.
Sesko is a talented center forward but his numbers are nowhere near as brilliant as that of Gyokeres. The 22-year-old only scored 13 goals in 33 Bundesliga games for Leipzig last term. On the other hand, Viktor netted 39 goals in 33 league fixtures and helped Sporting retain the Primeira Liga title.
This update significantly **reshapes the striker race** between Manchester United and Arsenal — and it’s good news for United.
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### ✅ **Latest Breakdown:**
#### 🔴 **Arsenal**
* **Dropped out of the Viktor Gyökeres race** due to tough negotiations with Sporting CP president **Frederico Varandas**.
* Now **focused on Benjamin Šeško**, with *Diario Sport* reporting a deal worth **€75m (£64.4m) + add-ons** is close.
* Šeško had a decent season (13 goals in 33 Bundesliga games), but *not as prolific* as Gyökeres.
#### 🔴 **Manchester United**
* With Arsenal backing off, **United have a clear path** to sign **Gyökeres**, who already has a strong bond with new manager **Rúben Amorim**.
* **O Jogo** reports that **Sporting CP want €80m (£68.3m)** — a figure now considered more achievable with less competition.
* The Swede’s output is on another level:
> ⚽ **39 league goals in 33 games** last season
> 🏆 Led Sporting to the Liga NOS title
> 🔁 Versatile, strong, Amorim’s ideal No.9
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### 🧠 **What This Means for Man United:**
* **Højlund + Zirkzee = 7 PL goals** combined last season — not good enough.
* If United are serious about mounting a **top-four challenge**, **Gyökeres is the proven elite-level striker** who fits Amorim’s pressing system.
* **Timing is critical** — with Arsenal out, United must act fast to avoid new entrants (like PSG or Chelsea) jumping in.
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### 💰 Summary of Financial Demands:
| Player | Club | Asking Price | 2023/24 League Goals |
| ————— | ——————- | —————— | ——————– |
| Viktor Gyökeres | Sporting CP | €80m (£68.3m) | 39 |
| Benjamin Šeško | RB Leipzig | €75m+ (£64.4m+) | 13 |
| Rasmus Højlund | Man Utd (retained?) | — | 8 (all comps) |
| Joshua Zirkzee | Bologna (linked) | €40m (£34m) clause | 11 (Serie A) |
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### ⚠️ Final Word:
With Arsenal opting for Šeško and balking at Sporting’s negotiation style, **Manchester United are in pole position** for Gyökeres. If INEOS and Ashworth want a striker who can **transform the attack from day one**, this is the moment to strike.
Would you like a mock lineup of how United could look with Gyökeres in Amorim’s system?
