Man Utd 'lead race' race to sign Champions League hat-trick hero but could 'struggle' to sign him in January
Manchester United and Arsenal are in pursuit of a top striker in Europe.
The winds of change are blowing at Manchester United. Ruben Amorim will take charge of the Red Devils before the end of the month, following the departure of now-former head coach Erik ten Hag - but what is happening in the rumour mill at Old Trafford today?
United, as well as Arsenal, are in pursuit of one of Europe’s leading strikers. He has been on fire in both the league and the Champions League - but there could be a problem.
Due to their high spending in recent months, United could lack the finances to make a major splash in the January transfer window - could this cost them in the long run?
Manchester United and Arsenal are ‘options’ for Sporting CP superstar Viktor Gyokeres
Viktor Gyokeres is the name on the minds of football fans at the moment, with his performances in the Champions League fresh in their minds. According to a report from the London Evening Standard, both United and Arsenal are seen as ‘options’ for his next destination.
When asked if Gyokeres would leave Sporting to join him at United in a previous press interview, Amorim said: “Gyokeres is a Sporting player, which is a great club, he did a lot for it, he was in the second division. He just has to stay and finish the season [there].”
So far this season, Gyokeres has been setting the footballing world alight. He has made 17 appearances for Sporting across all competitions, scoring 23 goals along the way. He is under contract at the club until the summer of 2028 - as such, they are under no immediate pressure to sell the 26 year old. He has a minimum fee release clause of £83 million - any club wishing to purchase his services will need to activate this to bring him on board.
He has played in four Champions League games, scoring five goals in these appearances - three of them came against Premier League champions Manchester City last night.
Before he made the jump to Sporting, Gyokeres played for Coventry City in the Championship. He had also played for Brighton and Hove Albion, but never made a Premier League appearance during his time with the Seagulls.
Manchester United may have difficulty operating in January transfer window
While United are certainly keen on the prospect of bringing Gyokeres to Old Trafford, they may struggle to do so over the course of the January transfer window.
According to a recent report from Football Insider, the Red Devils’ budget is currently stretched. They had a high spending summer transfer window, during which they brought players such as Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte and Matthijs de Ligt to the club.
Furthermore, reports suggested that United were required to pay Sporting a fee of £37.5 million to snap up Ruben Amorim. However, the compensation figure is thought to be closer to £9.25 million.
Nevertheless, United will not have a lot of money to spend during the winter window. Given Gyokeres’ massive release clause, they may need to wait until the summer to launch a serious effort in acquiring his services.