Manchester United target Viktor Gyökeres has reportedly agreed on personal terms with Arsenal as Rúben Amorim hunts for a new striker.
Manchester United are preparing to reshape their attacking unit this summer following a disappointing 2024/25 campaign, which ended with a 15th-place finish in the Premier League and a clear lack of goals throughout the season.
Bruno Fernandes led the team with 19 goals, while Alejandro Garnacho and Amad both scored 11. Rasmus Højlund added 10, but no other player hit double figures in any competition.
The club have already finalised the £62.5 million signing of Matheus Cunha and are making progress in negotiations for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo. Talks remain ongoing between the two clubs for the Cameroon international.
United also remain in search of a new central striker. Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyökeres was a leading target, but the Swedish international has reportedly agreed to a five-year deal with Arsenal, with a club-to-club agreement expected to follow.
With that move seemingly off the table, United will now need to turn their attention to alternative options in the striker market.
United’s stance on Šeško transfer explained
With Gyökeres close to securing his Arsenal move, United have been scouting the summer market for other opportunities. It has been suggested that, with the North London club no longer in the running for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško, this could become an option for the club.
United’s head of recruitment, Christoper Vivell, is known to have flown to Germany in the last few months to keep a close eye on the 22-year-old striker. Vivell previously worked within Leipzig’s structure, so knows the Slovenian well.
According to The Metro, United have held a long-standing interest in Šeško and admire the player’s fantastic goalscoring abilities, and were initially keen on the transfer after their pursuit of Liam Delap fell through.
Vivell was one of the key figures in uncovering Sesko, who was still playing in Slovenia at the time, when he was a 16-year-old. This led to Sesko being brought to Red Bull Salzburg in 2019.
Šeško is likely out of United’s financial reach
While the alure of signing and playing for United is still strong, as Cunha and Mbeumo have made clear, Šeško may be too far out of United’s financial grasp.
Although it has been known for some time that Leipzig would allow Šeško to leave this summer for a fair price, multiple reports have suggested that this could be as high as an £85 million fee, which is far beyond United’s reach.
Instead, Amorim’s club will likely look elsewhere for a striker this summer. United have been linked with Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins of late. However, the Birmingham club reportedly want around £60 million for the England international, while United would want to pay less for a 29-year-old.
The club have also been linked with a move for former Everton striker and now free agent Dominic Calvert-Lewin, although it has been pointed out that his high wage demands make the transfer unlikely unless Amorim fails to secure other targets.
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