Manchester United have joined Chelsea and Arsenal in the race to sign one of Sporting CP’s best players, according to Portuguese outlet Record (page 4).
The Red Devils have misfired up front in the Premier League this season. They have netted only 12 goals after 11 games into their top-flight campaign.
Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have scored a combined tally of three goals. The duo must improve going forward under manager Ruben Amorim.
Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres has been regularly linked with United since Amorim’s arrival. The club could make a summer move if Hojlund and Zirkzee fail to impress.
Record today claim that the 26-year-old is particularly attracting interest from England.
Chelsea and Arsenal were linked with him last summer, but the duo were reluctant to trigger the £83 million release clause before the transfer deadline.
United have now joined them in the pursuit of Gyokeres, who has registered 23 goals and four assists from just 18 appearances for Sporting CP this term.
The Red Devils were initially interested in signing Harry Kane last year, but they were unable to strike a transfer agreement with Tottenham Hotspur for him.
United opted to sign an emerging talent in Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta. The Dane has shown glimpses of his quality, but has yet to become a regular goalgetter.
For a huge outlay of £72m, Hojlund has been disappointing with just 18 goals from 55 appearances.
Hojlund could develop under Amorim’s guidance in the near future, but the hierarchy may want a genuine goalscorer to challenge for the league title.
Joshua Zirkzee arrived with plenty of promise from Bologna last summer, but he has looked out of sorts with just one goal from 17 appearances this season.
Zirkzee has been linked with an early exit and we believe he could be offloaded to facilitate the arrival of Gyokeres from Sporting CP at the end of the campaign.
The Swede, who has been described as a ‘hardworking‘ player by Anders Limpar, has been a revelation with 66 goals and 19 assists from just 68 outings for Sporting CP.
He will face a sterner challenge with a move to the Premier League, but would still provide a striker upgrade on Hojlund and Zirkzee for the Mancunian giants.
Gyokeres has a gentleman’s agreement to leave his club for £63 million next summer and it appears a no-brainer decision to reunite him with Amorim at Old Trafford.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
