A major revamp is going on at the striker position at Manchester United this summer transfer window. Matheus Cunha was officially announced as a new arrival earlier today. Rasmus Hojlund has a future that is uncertain while Bryan Mbeumo is a top target. Another priority target is Viktor Gyokeres, who we begin the discussion on today.
The Swede is reportedly the subject of a bidding war between Arsenal and United.
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According to Portuguese outlet Mais Futebol Arsenal would be wiling to pay Sporting CP just under €60 million (£51m) for Gyokeres, with potential incentive add-ons taking the grand total north of that sum.
Meanwhile United are reportedly willing to put in a bid for €60m, with another €10m (£8.5m) in add-ons. Neither is enough however, with the Portugal club said to be holding firm on their price of €80m (£68m).
And that’s what brings us to the drama.
Numerous reports, in multiple outlets, claim Gyokeres desperately wants to leave and get his dream move to the Premier League, but the club won’t let him.
Supposedly, this has led to a very strained relationship between player and club.
There is so much coverage of this (it’s summer off-season, of course there is!) that it led Gyokeres to speak out against the narratives on his Instagram.
He posted a story on IG this evening that simply said: “There is a lot of talks at the moment, most of it is false. I will speak when the time is right.”
This might turn out to be a messy breakup. Watch this space. Shifting gears to Hojlund, he is supposedly on the radar of Inter Milan, as well as some other Serie A clubs.
It’s still very unclear whether or not he’ll stay or go. To hear Hojlund tell it though, he’s not going anywhere this summer.
“I have a contract [until 2028], so I expect to play for Manchester United [next season],” he said during a media availability while on international duty with Denmark.
‘I’m looking forward to going on a summer vacation, and then I’m fully dedicated to the project that’s underway.
“I know I can’t get much out of reading things. I know what the facts are, and that is that I have a contract with Manchester United.
“I expect to play there, so I’m just getting ready for some summer vacation and then hopefully a good pre-season.”
It will, most likely, just come down to money. If United can get a good offer for him, most likely they will, or at least they should, take it. If they cannot find a potential suitor with enough money to spend, then the Dane will stay put.
It probably doesn’t go much deeper than that.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter