‘Manchester United Viktor Gyokeres transfer ‘agreement’ emerges as Marcus Rashford warning sent’

‘Manchester United Viktor Gyokeres transfer ‘agreement’ emerges as Marcus Rashford warning sent’

Manchester United matters of Marcus Rashford, Viktor Gyokeres and Hugo Ekitike

Take a hint
Counting words is a very strong vibe in the modern media and the Mirror think they have spotted something in Monday’s Ruben Amorim press conference: ‘Ruben Amorim’s three-word comment as Man Utd boss drops new Marcus Rashford hint.’

Does it matter that Amorim actually said 66 words about Rashford when directly asked for roughly the 427th time? Apparently not, because the Mirror have spotted ‘another swipe’. Is that worse than a ‘jibe’? Is there a scale we can consult?

Amorim said that “everybody knows the talent” of Rashford and described him as a “top player”, none of which sounds like a ‘swipe’. But adding the words – three words, natch – “if he wants”, turns a series of anodyne comments into a ‘swipe’.

As for the ‘new Marcus Rashford hint’.

Talk of Marcus Rashford takes us to the Manchester Evening News and this Frankenstein’s monster of a headline:

‘Manchester United Viktor Gyokeres transfer ‘agreement’ emerges as Marcus Rashford warning sent’

Let’s deal with c) first; of course they’re not. That ‘as’ is just there as a little bridge between shite and shite.

As for b), the ‘Marcus Rashford warning’ is from Aston Villa winger Jacob Ramsey, who said when asked about Rashford’s form: “He’ll be buzzing and hopefully he can keep scoring.”

Quite the ‘warning’. And absolutely relevant to Manchester United fans.

So that leaves us with a), the Viktor Gyokeres transfer ‘agreement’. The first thing to note is that the MEN‘s SSCAW (Senior Sport Central Audience Writer) is quoting absolutely nobody with those quote marks.

The story’s source is transfer journalist Sacha Tavolieri, and what he actually writes on Sky Sports Switzerland is this: ‘Although several sources confirm that Gyökeres had given his word to Rúben Amorim to join him at Manchester United this summer, the complex sporting situation of the Red Devils could call into question this friendship pact between the Swede and the Portuguese.’

So two friends agreed that they would quite like to work together at Manchester United, presumably before both realised Ruben Amorim was joining a club with no money. Indeed, the club are now said to be as ‘tepid’ as Gyokeres on the deal.

That very clearly does not constitute an ‘agreement’, especially when the source for this so-called ‘agreement’ has described Gyokeres as Arsenal’s ‘Plan A’.

Arsenal are being strongly linked with Viktor Gyokeres, but according to The Sun, he is one of five striker targets for the Gunners.

‘Arsenal’s five-man striker shortlist including star who could cost MORE than Isak as Arteta vows ‘big’ transfer window’

Amusingly, they also write that ‘Arsenal have the option of going for a Prem proven ace or gambling overseas’ because in the sweet parochial world of The Sun, all those who come from Abroad are a ‘gamble’.