Viktor Gyokeres celebrates
Manchester United have been linked with a big-money target ahead of the January window, although a key stumbling block could prevent them from getting the deal done.
Rasmus Hojlund finally scored his first Premier League goal of the season on Boxing Day to complete Man Utd’s emphatic comeback against Aston Villa.
While Hojlund has shown flashes of quality in his early days at Old Trafford, Erik ten Hag could do with another forward option to provide him with some competition.
Anthony Martial looks set to leave the club in 2024 and it’s no secret that the Red Devils have been short of firepower this year. Ten Hag’s side have only scored 21 league goals so far which is the same amount as Luton Town who currently sit 18th.
The latest striker target Man Utd are looking at is Sporting Lisbon forward Viktor Gyokeres. Since making the move to Portugal in the summer, plenty of top European sides have been made aware of the Swedish forward’s talent.
The 25-year-old has scored 17 goals across all competitions for Sporting so far and he has also impressed on the international stage for Sweden too.
According to Portuguese media, as relayed by Sport Witness, Man Utd are now one of the clubs that could launch a bid to sign the prolific star in 2024.
However, prizing him away from Sporting in January is likely to be tough, especially given he only joined the club in the summer. Sporting snatched the forward from Championship outfit Coventry in a deal worth around €20million in July.
He is now under contract with the Liga Portugal side until the summer of 2028 and his release clause sits at a staggering €100m.
Gyokeres seems content to stick with Sporting
Chelsea are another of the clubs who have held an interest in the former Coventry star, although they have discovered that a January deal will be tough to pull off.
The 25-year-old seems to be settled into life in Portugal right now and it has been reported that the forward will look closely at Italy, Germany and Spain whenever he decides to move on from Sporting.
When asked about the speculation by Record, Gyokeres replied: “I think it’s a bit like when Sporting came in to sign me… I’m very happy here and I don’t care about any interested parties at the moment.
“I’m enjoying every day here and not thinking about what’s going on around me. Yes, there’s talk of big clubs, but for now it’s just news. That’s all.”
When pressed further on if he could promise Sporting fans he would be staying, he confirmed: “Yes. This is where I want to stay.”
Along with Chelsea and Man Utd, Arsenal are another club looking to add a new striker in January and they have also been keeping tabs on Gyokeres.
It does seem unlikely that United would splash a significant amount of money on Gyokeres in the January window, especially as he has only played half a season in a top European league.
The club will no doubt continue to monitor his progress throughout the coming weeks and months and it remains to be seen if the Red Devils will submit an official offer.
