Deal Close – Man United ready bid to sign Talented and outstanding Sporting Lisbon striker this summer to compete with Rasmus Højlund

Deal Close – Man United ready bid to sign Talented and outstanding Sporting Lisbon striker this summer to compete with Rasmus Højlund

Manchester United are reportedly planning to move for Sporting Lisbon attacker Viktor Gyokeres when this summer’s transfer window opens for business.

The 25-year-old made the move to Sporting from Coventry City last July, and he has been in impressive form for his Portuguese club this season, scoring 29 goals and registering 11 assists in 32 appearances.

Gyokeres penned a five-year deal with the Green and Whites upon his arrival, but there is believed to be a €100m (£85.5m) release clause in his contract.

Chelsea were heavily linked with the striker earlier this year and are still believed to be keen on his services ahead of the opening of the summer market.

According to Fichajes, there is also now serious interest from Man United, with the club planning to make a move for him at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

Man United ‘keen to sign Viktor Gyokeres this summer’
The Red Devils will sign a new striker this summer to provide support for Rasmus Hojlund next term, with Anthony Martial set to leave on a free transfer.

Man United boss Erik ten Hag said on Friday that he wanted to sign a new striker in January when he was told that Martial would be missing until at least the end of March, but the rules surrounding Financial Fair Play meant that a deal was not possible.

“When I got the news about Anthony Martial, at the start of January, I really tried to get another striker in because, yeah, we are vulnerable there,” said the manager.

“But FFP was the thing. We couldn’t do it. And so yeah we worked out other options how to fill this in and how to deal with the moment Rasmus Hojlund wouldn’t be available. And there are, and we have, options in our squad to fill it in.

Man United ‘keen to sign Viktor Gyokeres this summer’
“So first of all, the striker options are most difficult to fill this in and especially on our level. We had two strikers and I get that on Martial but he had done for us, last season, great things. So he is also on high payment in this club.

“And so, yeah, when you bring another one in, you strike him out. And so all the arguments were not to do it [sign two strikers]. And then we have Marcus Rashford, also a player who can play very good from that position. So we have actually had three strikers in our squad to fill in.”

Hojlund is facing a spell out with a muscular problem which he suffered in training, so Rashford is likely to operate through the middle in his absence.

Gyokeres initially made the move to English football with Brighton & Hove Albion in 2018, but he only managed one goal in eight appearances for the Seagulls during a disappointing spell.

The forward starred for Coventry ahead of his move to Sporting, though, scoring 40 times in 97 appearances for the club during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns after a loan spell in 2020-21