DONE DEAL: Gyokeres join Man United, Mbeumo’s deal cancelled, Eze agree to join, Matheus Cunha’s squad number revealed- Manchester United’s latest transfer news as the Reds finally signed Viktor Gyokeres on five-years deal
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.
It looks like **Manchester United may have lost out** on one of their primary striker targets this summer — **Viktor Gyökeres**.
### 🔴 What’s Happening:
* According to **L’Équipe** and **Sacha Tavolieri**, **Arsenal have reached a *verbal agreement*** with Viktor Gyökeres and his representatives over a **five-year deal**.
* The Swedish striker is **keen to join Mikel Arteta’s project**, with Arsenal now preparing to negotiate a final transfer fee with **Sporting CP**.
### ⚠️ Implications for Manchester United:
* **United had strong interest** in Gyökeres, especially given his staggering output — **97 goals in 102 games** for Sporting.
* His relationship with **Rúben Amorim**, now at United, made a move to Old Trafford look plausible. However, United **appear to have hesitated**, and Arsenal’s longer-standing pursuit is now bearing fruit.
* **Sporting’s asking price** is reportedly **between £60m and £85m**, and Arsenal are said to be working on finding a middle ground.
### 💡 Irony in the Fixture List:
Should this move be finalized soon, **Gyökeres’ Premier League debut could come against Manchester United at Old Trafford**, a potentially stinging twist if he performs well in that match.
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### 🔍 What This Means for United:
1. **Back to the drawing board** in the striker hunt. With **Joshua Zirkzee** still in talks and a **£50m bid lined up for Ademola Lookman**, the club must now **accelerate negotiations** elsewhere.
2. If **Rasmus Højlund** is part of any player-plus-cash strategy (e.g., for **Victor Osimhen**), this makes it even more crucial that an elite No.9 is secured soon.
3. The influence of **Amorim** wasn’t enough to lure Gyökeres, which may raise questions about how much pulling power the new manager has in the market—**especially when competing with Champions League clubs like Arsenal**.
Would you like a shortlist of realistic striker alternatives Manchester United could now target?
