Viktor Gyokeres has reportedly rejected a move to Manchester United.
The Sporting Lisbon forward, who has also been heavily linked with Arsenal, has emerged as one of the top strikers in European football.
Gyokeres scored 39 goals in the Primeira Liga in 2024-25 to help Sporting retain the title, while he also netted six times in the Champions League.
The former Brighton and Hove Albion attacker, who had loan spells at St. Pauli and Swansea City, was signed by Sporting in 2023 ahead of what proved to be now United manager Ruben Amorim’s final full season with the club, the Sweden international joining from Coventry City.
But a report in Portuguese newspaper Record states that Gyokeres’ representatives contacted United on Friday to inform the club he would not be reuniting with Amorim at Old Trafford.
It is another setback for United as they look to continue the revamp of Amorim’s squad, having already secured the signing of forward Matheus Cunha in a deal worth £62.5million from Wolves.
United were considered the frontrunners for Brentford’s Bryan Mbuemo, but that transfer looks to be in doubt after Tottenham, having lured Thomas Frank from the Bees to replace Ange Postecoglou as head coach, reportedly entered the race to sign the Cameroon winger.
Arsenal now appear to be the favourites to sign Gyokeres, who has an £84m release clause.
It had been reported that Gyokeres and Sporting have a gentleman’s agreement to allow him to depart for £59m.
However, Sporting have denied that is the case and are said to be asking for a fee in the region of £70m for their talisman.
Gyokeres was said to have threatened to go on strike in response, but a post on his Instagram story on Thursday suggested claims about a row were exaggerated.
“There is a lot of talks at the moment, most of it is false,” he wrote. “I will speak when the time is right.”
