Man Utd ‘rejected by top target’ as Arsenal steal march in transfer battle
Man Utd and Arsenal target Viktor Gyokeres has made a decision over his future in another twist to this evolving transfer saga.
Viktor Gyokeres has reportedly rejected Manchester United, handing Arsenal a major advantage in the race for his signature this summer. Ruben Amorim had identified the Sporting striker as his top target in the position after missing out on a £30million deal for Liam Delap to Chelsea.
The pair struck up a dominant partnership in Portugal after Amorim signed Gyokeres from Coventry City in 2023 and helped establish him as one of Europe's most lethal goalscorers. However, the 40-year-old's hopes of an Old Trafford reunion are said to have been brutally dashed, with Arsenal also in the frame. According to Record, Gyokeres has said no to Amorim and United, opening the door for the Gunners to lure him to the Emirates Stadium.
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It's claimed that the 27-year-old's representatives have informed United that they are no longer considered an option this summer.
Amorim's latest rejection will force him to explore alternative targets once enough funds are generated through player sales to pursue a striker.
The Red Devils plan to use their initial budget to sign Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo after completing the £62.5million capture of Matheus Cunha from Wolves.
Beyond Mbeumo, Amorim will have to offload players to make space for new arrivals after overseeing a 15th-place Premier League finish last season.
United have also been linked with Napoli's Victor Osimhen, Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eintracht Frankfurt frontman Hugo Ekitike.
Gyokeres' future has descended into a transfer circus after Sporting president Frederico Varandas publicly aimed fire at his agent, Hasan Cetinkaya.
Varandas suggested that Cetinkaya had informed media outlets that Sporting agreed to let Gyokeres leave this summer for as low as £59m in an attempt to orchestrate a move.
However, he insisted that the Portuguese champions wouldn't allow a departure at that price, which has reportedly angered the 54-goal striker.
On Thursday, Gyokeres took to social media with a cryptic message, writing: "There are a lot of talks at the moment, most of it is false. I will speak when the time is right."
Arsenal are also exploring the potential signing of Benjamin Sesko, but negotiations for the RB Leipzig striker reportedly aren't advanced.
Gyokeres could prove cheaper than the 22-year-old and has a considerably more proven track record of scoring goals.
Yet, there are some questions over whether the Sweden international would be able to translate his prolific exploits in Portugal to Premier League football.
