HERE WE GO: Manchester United finally completes another summer transfer signing after announcing Bryan Mbeumo’s signing- Medical Completed ahead of the announcement scheduled to hold tomorrow
Manchester United have a reported interest in Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres, who worked with Ruben Amorim in Portugal, but they look unlikely to win the race for his signature.
A recent report claimed that the Sweden international has decided that he would rather sign for the club’s Premier League rivals Arsenal instead of making a move to Old Trafford to reunite with his former boss.
The former Coventry star, who scored a staggering 52 goals in all competitions for Sporting in the 2024/25 season, is available for a fee of just over £61m, but it is the Gunners who seem to be in pole position to bring him over to England.
His incredible goal return in Portugal suggests that this news is a blow for Amorim and for Manchester United. However, the club are reportedly eyeing up a star who could be the manager’s next version of Gyokeres.
Man Utd battling to sign Spanish striker
The Premier League giants appear to be in the process of identifying alternative options in the number nine position, as the Swedish star looks to be headed elsewhere.
According to CaughtOffside, Manchester United are one of a number of teams eyeing up a move to sign FC Porto’s Spanish striker Samu Aghehowa in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that Aston Villa, Arsenal, and Chelsea are all also keen on doing a deal for the former Atletico Madrid centre-forward in the coming weeks.
It states that the Portuguese giants are looking for a fee of up to £63m for the 21-year-old marksman, with United and their Premier League rivals now set to battle it out for his signature.
Whilst they appear to be on the back foot with Gyokeres, the Red Devils should push to win this race to unearth Amorim’s next version of the Sporting superstar.
Why Samu could be Gyokeres 2.0 for Amorim
The Porto marksman is similar to the Swedish ace from a physical perspective, as he stands at 6 foot 4 and has the physicality to occupy and cause problems for defenders.
In fact, talent scout Jacek Kulig once described him as a “monster” in the making due to his physicality and speed, which suggests that the forward could offer similar attributes to Gyokeres.
The Spain international’s performances in the Portuguese top-flight also suggest that he has the potential to be a prolific striker for United, albeit not as prolific as Gyokeres could be in the short-term.
As you can see in the table above, Samu enjoyed a brilliant season with Porto, scoring 19 goals in 23 starts and outperforming his xG, yet still ended with 20 fewer goals than the Sporting number nine.
It is worth remembering, though, that the Spanish marksman is six years younger than Gyokeres and has plenty of time left ahead of him to hone his skills and improve his output as a scorer.
Samu, dubbed “outstanding” by journalist Josh Bunting, did also score six goals in nine matches in the Europa League, which shows that he can perform on the European stage.
Whilst he may not be the final, polished, product in comparison to the seasoned Gyokeres, the Porto star appears to have the physical and finishing attributes to develop into Amorim’s next version of the Swedish marksman, which is why he could be a shrewd signing for the club.
