Manchester United dealt Viktor Gyökeres blow with Premier League rival now ‘in pole position’

Manchester United have been dealt a transfer blow in their pursuit of Viktor Gyökeres as a Premier League rival is reportedly in pole position to sign him.

Manchester United are in the market for a new striker this summer, with Rúben Amorim eager to bolster his attacking options in the coming months.

Although United recently secured a commanding 4-0 win over Everton — with summer signing Joshua Zirkzee netting twice and Marcus Rashford adding another two — scoring has been a recurring issue this season.

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The absence of first-choice No. 9 Rasmus Højlund for the opening two months of the campaign has left United lagging in the Premier League goalscoring charts. The team has managed just 17 goals in the competition so far, significantly fewer than their rivals.

Tottenham Hotspur lead the way with 28, followed by Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool with 26 each, and Manchester City with 22 after the first 13 games.

United’s Gyökeres blow

Reports earlier this week had claimed that Manchester United have now opened talks to sign Sporting CP forward Viktor Gyökeres this summer.

The striker, who has 24 goals in 20 games for his club this season, is of interest to the club, with United now “fully involved” in a potential deal. However, they have suffered a fresh blow in their pursuit.

According to FootballTransfers, Premier League rivals Newcastle United are now in talks with Gyökeres’ agent Hasan Cetinkaya, who also represents Victor Lindelöf.

According to the report, the Magpies are the ones leading the race to sign the 26-year-old Swedish international this summer, although it is likely they would have to sell striker Alexander Isak in order to fund the move due to profitability and sustainability restraints.

Newcastle’s attractive option

What is reportedly being appreciated by Gyökeres is that, at Newcastle, he would have guaranteed game time should they use him to replace Isak.

At United, the striker would be competing with up to three other players for the striker position, with Højlund, Zirkzee, and Rashford all options for Amorim in the positoin.

Beyond this, other clubs said to be courting him, such as Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea, all have striker options to choose from, with Erling Haaland, Kai Havertz, and Nicolas Jackson shining in their respective squads.

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