FEE AGREED: Manchester United agree a huge transfer fee to sign the most lethal striker in Europe after the superstar rejected so many clubs for The Reds- Announcement will be made official tomorrow as the player is currently undergoing medical
Manchester United still want to sign a striker after missing out on Liam Delap, who decided to join Chelsea.
They have made an initial approach for Sporting CP centre-forward Viktor Gyokeres, but a deal now seems unlikely.
Portuguese news outlet Record reports that the Swedish striker is unconvinced about a move to Old Trafford as he is eyeing a dream move to Arsenal.
Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike is also on United’s radar. They have officially entered the race to sign the France youth international, according to journalist Florian Plettenberg.
The Manchester outfit face competition from Chelsea and Liverpool for the signing of Ekitike, making a deal for him complicated.
Foot Mercato now claim United have ‘accelerated talks’ with the player’s agent over the past two days.
Conversations between the Red Devils and Ekitike’s representatives have reportedly progressed, with both parties optimistic about a potential deal.
Described as ‘unbelievable’ by his former coach Uzunea Dumitru, Ekitike scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists across all competitions last term.
His ability to score goals and create chances for team-mates make him unique.
Ekitike ranked in the 81st percentile for goals scored and 87th percentile for chances created per 90 among strikers in Europe’s top five leagues last season.
It remains to be seen how Man United intend to get a deal done for the 22-year-old, considering his €100 million (£85m) valuation by Frankfurt.
United are operating on a tight transfer budget, which is reportedly less than £100m – a fraction of which has been spent on signing Matheus Cunha from Wolves.
They are also not ready to spend extravagantly on their target, as shown by their stance on not paying more than CEO Omar Berrada’s predetermined “price point” for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo.
Frankfurt’s CEO Markus Krosche insists they will not sell Ekitike ‘if the price is not right.’
It is difficult to see how United can complete a deal for the French striker, considering their transfer budget and their struggles to sell players.
