Man Utd ‘call again’ for Gyokeres as Romano makes ’99 per cent closed’ transfer claim

Man Utd have initiated “new contacts” as they “call again” to get a deal for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres over the line, according to reports.

The Red Devils are desperate to sign a new striker this summer after struggling to score goals in the Premier League last season.

Only four Premier League sides scored fewer goals than Man Utd last term as they finished 15th under Ruben Amorim, who replaced Erik ten Hag in November.

Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund scored just seven Premier League goals between them and the Red Devils are looking for a proven goalscorer to lead the line.

Improving their attack in general has been the focus of their early summer business with Matheus Cunha signing from Wolves for £62.5m, while they have had two bids rejected for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo.

They had been keen on signing Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap but Chelsea beat them to the Englishman and now Man Utd are now looking at different options.

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A move for Gyokeres had been seen as unlikely after they failed to qualify for the Champions League but journalist Ben Jacobs recently claimed the Sweden international would be ‘keen’ on a move to Old Trafford regardless.

Jacobs told The United Stand: “My understanding is that Viktor Gyokeres would be very keen on a move to Man United if they could pull that off, financially speaking.

“I don’t think Gyokeres would be on £300,000 a week or more. So if Rashford and Sancho go they’ve got wage bill space to invest in these players, so that’s why if they bite the bullet on the transfer and agent fees, if they structure it in a way where they can start in the next financial year and get it on flexible instalments, it can be a way they can do that deal.”

And now transfer expert Fabrizio Romano insists that he is “99 per cent convinced” that Man Utd would have had a deal wrapped up by now for Gyokeres if they’d qualified for the Champions League.

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But the Italian reporter insists that Arsenal’s decision to go after Benjamin Sesko, rather than Gyokeres, has given Man Utd an opportunity again.

Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Gyokeres was and remains an option for Arsenal in terms of new striker. Because at the moment my information is Arsenal are advancing on the deal for Benjamin Sesko.

“So Sesko is the clear favourite, there are conversations ongoing. But it’s still not a done deal. So until the Sesko deal is a done we have to be careful.

“At the moment Sesko remains the favourite, Viktor Gyokeres remains the other option on the table, but as it’s now two or three weeks that Arsenal are still not advancing on the Gyokeres deal, all the other clubs keep calling his agents.

“That’s what happened in the last 48 hours over the weekend. From what I heard, last week Man Utd had new contacts with Viktor Gyokeres’ camp, to be informed on the situation, something like ‘okay, if Arsenal are not doing the deal we are still there, we are still interested’.

“Then for Man Utd we have to see financially how they can make it happen, because with Champions League football I’m 99 per cent convinced that they were going to close the Gyokeres deal quite quick. That was the feeling.

“Then no Champions League football, they lost the [Europa League] final in Bilbao, and so it’s more complicated financially.

“But for Gyokeres, Man Utd called again. Let’s see if they’re able to make it happen but there were new contacts with the agent of the player.”

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