Ruben Amorim was denied a reunion with Viktor Gyokeres at Manchester United this summer because the Swedish striker preferred to join Arsenal.
Heading into the summer transfer window, Viktor Gyokeres was towards the very top of Manchester United’s shopping list.
Gyokeres was open to joining United, but unfortunately, his preference was to join Arsenal and the Gunners went ahead and completed a £64m deal with Sporting Lisbon.
Even in the final few days of the transfer saga, Gyokeres was offered to United, but a move to Manchester was never his priority.
Viktor Gyokeres explains why he chose Arsenal over Manchester United
United’s defeat in the Europa League final last season already put the Red Devils on the back foot when it comes to negotiating this summer, as Ruben Amorim cannot offer European football to new signings.
Not only could Arsenal offer Gyokeres Champions League football, but United’s 15th-placed finish in the Premier League last season was the worst in club history.
All of the above came into Gyokeres’ thinking over the summer. As quoted by The Mirror, Gyokeres said: “I just felt that it was the right club for me.
“What I heard from Mikel [Arteta] and Andrea [Berta] when I was speaking with them, and just what I’ve seen in the past years, how they’ve been playing football.
“When I was playing against Arsenal last season, I could really feel it was a very strong team and very difficult to play against.
“That made me choose Arsenal, and of course all the history the club has and the massive fanbase.”
Despite Gyokeres being a big admirer of Amorim, the idea of playing under the Portuguese head coach was not enough to lure the Swede to Old Trafford.
Clearly Ineos were not able to sell United’s project as well as Arsenal’s hierarchy.
What Man United are working on after Viktor Gyokeres snub
It has been clear for some time now that United had missed out on Gyokeres, and Ineos have now had to shift the attention of their striker search.
United have held talks over Benjamin Sesko, who is reportedly available for around £62 million this summer.
Sesko is loved by United’s scouting department, who have followed the RB Leipzig striker for over three years.
READ MORE: Man United’s top three striker targets all share key trait, Ruben Amorim knows what he wants
Alternatively, United are interested in Ollie Watkins, with the 29-year-old able to bring plenty of top-flight experience with him if he joined Amorim’s side this summer.
United are ‘convinced’ they will sign a striker this summer, despite Amorim insisting he would be happy to start the campaign with his current squad.
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