Manchester United dealt massive blow in transfer pursuit of top attacking target: Reports

Manchester United have been handed a major blow in their pursuit of Sporting CP's Viktor Gyökeres as per A Bola (via Tribal Football). The report added that Gyökeres would prefer to join a Premier League team that would compete in next season's UEFA Champions League.

Gyökeres has been a striker on Manchester United's radar since the last transfer window due to his remarkable performance. However, recent reports reveal that he favors a move to either Arsenal, Manchester United, or leaders Liverpool.

Having worked with Ruben Amorim in the past, it was rumored that the Swede would reunite with his former boss at Old Trafford. However, the anticipated reunion between Amorim and Gyökeres is far from reality at the moment.

As one of Gyökeres’s preferred clubs, a good number of the Gunners supporters have been yearning for a target man in their attack. If Arsenal could defeat other interested clubs in the race, Gyökeres’s signing could boost Mikel Arteta's frontline.

This could make them a more formidable competitor for the Premier League title next season. On the other hand, Liverpool are also one of the Premier League giants that are looking to revamp their frontline.

This could be due to the weak attacking performance of Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota in the current campaign (2024-25). Thus, Gyökeres could be a progressive replacement for Nunez if he decides to leave Anfield.

Manchester City might not be looking to sign Gyökeres due to the recent signing of Omar Marmoush in attack. Thus, Pep Guardiola might be eager to enhance other key areas in the team.

Amid the speculations on Gyökeres' future, he has put in a decent shift in attack this season. In 40 games for Sporting, the Swede has registered 39 goals and delivered nine assists.

However, it's expected that Manchester United will leverage on their decent relationship with Sporting as they look to sign Gyökeres. If you can recall, Bruno Fernandes joined the Red Devils from Sporting due to the remarkable relationship between the two clubs in 2017.

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How has Manchester United's target man Rasmus Hojlund performed this season amid Gyökeres speculations?

Real Sociedad de Futbol v Manchester United - UEFA Europa League 2024/25 Round of 16 First Leg - Source: Getty

Rasmus Hojlund has arguably been poor as the Red Devils target man in the final third this season. The Danish striker has also struggled to score a goal in his last 20 appearances across all competitions for United.

This has led to questions regarding his capacity as a Red Devil's number nine. On the flip side, a good number of the supporters have called for his sale in the summer.

Hojlund has only scored seven goals in 37 games for United this season. Given his big-money purchase, his numbers are not encouraging for a highly rated club like Manchester United.

Thus, it's expected that he could be moved down the pecking order in the attack if he fails to improve before the end of the season.