'Difficult' - Fabrizio Romano names Manchester United's 'dream' striker signing after transfer snub

Manchester United will explore alternative targets in the summer transfer window as they look to add a striker to their first-team squad. United had identified Ipswich star Liam Delap as their preferred option for the role, but are set to miss out on his signature after he opted for a summer move to Chelsea.

Ruben Amorim has prioritised the addition of a striker this summer and viewed Delap as an ideal fit for their tactical approach. United also believed the 22-year-old represented excellent value for money due to a £30 million relegation release clause in his contract.

It means United will head back to the drawing board in their plans to overhaul their attacking options and it could end up costing them a lot more than they had planned. A move for Delap would have been budget friendly and it is unlikely they will be able to sign anyone that cheap this summer.

Viktor Gyokeres the dream

Manchester United are mindful of their financial constraints this summer and are reluctant to spend big on a striker if it means they can’t reinforce other areas of their squad. A deal has already been agreed to bring Wolves star Matheus Cunha to the club, that will see United pay his £62.5 million release clause across three years.

A similar deal might not be possible with regards to a striker, and certainly not one of those at the top of their list. Fabrizio Romano claims Sporting star Viktor Gyokeres is still the ‘dream’ addition in attack, though it was reported this week that the Portuguese club will demand at least £67 million for his signature.

Writing in his latest newsletter for GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano said: “There are several candidates, but Manchester United will make a decision on their priority target soon. The dream has always been Viktor Gyokeres, but it will be difficult without Champions League qualification.”

The 26-year-old established himself as one of the best striker's in the world this season, with an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances for the Portuguese side. Plenty of those were scored in the first few months of the season, where Sporting enjoyed an unbeaten start under the guidance of Amorim.

Viktor Gyokeres lifts lid on Ruben Amorim relationship

"Of course, it was something that we, as a group of players, didn't want," Gyokeres told SIC of Amorim's decision to leave during the season. "Obviously, like you said, we were flying and winning every game in the league and doing well in the Champions League, too.

"It was a sad moment, but we totally understood his decision and there were no hard feelings. We spoke to him. Everything was very clear and there were no hard feelings. It was a difficult moment, but I think we all played a lot of games over a long period and then that kind of thing can happen. We've also changed coaches twice, we've had three different coaches. Then you can change the way you train or the amount of training and of course that can affect the body. Yes, we tried to take the best out of the situation, it was a hard period, but we got through it and still finished top of the league."

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