Man Utd beaten with Arsenal ‘in a hurry’ to steal dream Amorim signing in HUGE deal

James Marshment 12 Jun 2025 12:13 PM

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and, inset, Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim

Arsenal are understood to have positioned themselves in a commanding position in the race to sign Viktor Gyokeres and deal Manchester United their first major blow of the summer window, and are having to contemplate a number of other possible options.

The Sporting CP striker has enjoyed two hugely prolific seasons in the Portuguese capital, where he has blasted in an incredible 97 goals in 102 appearances for the two-time defending Primeira Liga champions. And with Gyokeres now likely to move on and fulfil his dream of starring in the Premier League, talks over a deal are now starting to gather pace.

Indeed, while Ruben Amorim has made no secret of his desire to reunite with the striker at Manchester United, the Red Devils’ hesitancy in opening talks over a deal now looks to have opened the door for Arsenal.

The Gunners, also very much in need of a new No.9 themselves, had been weighing up whether to sign either Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko this summer. After prolonged talks with RB Leipzig over Sesko, a move for the Slovenian had looked the most likely outcome.

However, after it was revealed on Wednesday night that Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has scheduled a new meeting with Gyokeres’ agent, the Premier League runners-up have now decided to proceed with a move to sign the former Coventry man instead.

And according to strong reports coming out of Portugal, the Gunners are now in a rush to wrap up his signing as quickly as possible.

Per A Bola, Berta held positive conversations with the 27-year-old’s representative, Hasan Cetinkaya, detailing both the role he would have in Mikel Arteta’s side and the wages it would require to bring him to north London.

And with the pair understood to have come to an agreement, Arsenal now plan to make a formal proposal for the star, which is now expected ‘in the next few hours’.

Viktor Gyokeres: Sporting to demand huge fee for Arsenal, Man Utd target

And with the striker having green-lighted the move to Emirates Stadium, the report states the Gunners are now ‘in a hurry’ to secure the player’s signature and wrap up a big-money move.

Quite what Arsenal will need to pay, though, for Gyokeres remains to be seen.

While the striker has a hefty €100m (£85.3m, $116m) exit clause in his contract, it was well documented that the Portuguese champions were willing to let him leave for a fee some distance less than that owing to a gentlemen’s agreement with the player and after he showed loyalty to their cause last summer.

However, their president, Frederico Varandas, has seemingly gone back on that and accused the player’s agent of trying to ‘threaten and blackmail’ them into his sale amid claims the striker could down tools and refuse to play for them next season to force through a move.

With the situation threatening to turn nasty, Fabrizio Romano has provided some clarity over the striker’s situation and his transfer dispute with Sporting.

“Sporting had initially agreed to let him leave for a fee of around €65m (£55m, $74m), depending on payment terms,” Romano said.

“That was because the player was always seen as professional and did not seek to leave a year ago, when he was also in demand. He had the chance to go but decided to stay.

“They were prepared to accept this transfer fee…. but then, Sporting are now insisting on something more than €65m, maybe nearer €85m. So the player is also not so happy with the club, which is why the situation is getting tense.

“But let’s see, because I still see Viktor Gyokeres leaving Sporting this summer with interest from several clubs.”

As for United, they will likely now need to go back to the drawing board as they look to bring in a new No.9 to spearhead Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation.

Sesko has been mentioned as a potential option for the Red Devils, too, and it’s been previously reported that he would be the top choice of the club’s director of recruitment, Christopher Vivell.

Sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is one name high up their wishlist.

However, with United now needing to sell before they can, and having prioritised the signing of Bryan Mbeumo next, it may be some time before the Red Devils make a decision over which striker to pursue.