Manchester United’s pursuit of one attacking player for Ruben Amorim could end up costing less money than signing Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres this summer.
Viktor Gyokeres has been linked with Manchester United and the prolific 27-year-old Swedish attacker has been tipped for a potential reunion with Ruben Amorim.
Amorim coached Gyokeres at Sporting before he left the club and arrived at Old Trafford to become United manager during the 2024-25 Premier League season.
Gyokeres is expected to leave Sporting this summer and the Sweden striker has attracted interest from both United and Premier League side Arsenal.
The United-linked striker is under contract until 2028 and Gyokeres has a whopping £85.1m release clause in his current deal with the Primeira Liga champions.
Sporting are playing hardball over any negotiations over their Swedish talisman and Arsenal are believed to be the favourites to land Gyokeres this summer.
Man Utd’s position on Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins amid transfer interest in Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres
Ollie Watkins has been linked with Manchester United and the 29-year-old Aston Villa striker has been identified as a potential replacement for Rasmus Hojlund.
Rasmus Hojlund has attracted interest from Inter Milan and the 22-year-old Denmark and United striker’s future at Old Trafford remains uncertain.
Ruben Amorim was left short of a consistent goalscorer in the 2024-25 campaign and the arrival of a new striker is believed to be high on the priority list for United.
According to The Daily Mirror, United have held ‘tentative talks’ with fellow Premier League side Aston Villa over a move for Ollie Watkins this summer.
The England international has been viewed as the ‘ideal player’ to ‘lead’ the ‘attack’ in Amorim’s tactical system at United and has ‘proven goalscoring prowess.’
The newspaper reports that Villa ‘would want around £60million’ for Watkins and United are ‘unwilling’ to meet the fee due to his age and ‘lack of resale value.’
One major problem Man Utd face in trying to sign England star Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa
Ollie Watkins is under contract with Aston Villa until 2028 and the United-linked forward netted 17 times in 54 matches across all competitions last season.
According to The Mirror, United ‘were willing’ to use Marcus Rashford as part of a potential swap deal for the Red Devils player’s former Villa teammate.
Marcus Rashford was on loan at Villa in the second half of the 2024-25 campaign and the club turned down the option to make his move permanent for a £40m fee.
It is believed that another roadblock for United in signing Watkins from Villa would be the Red Devils being unable to offer him European football for next season.
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