‘Only desire’ – Fabrizio Romano hands Man United new Viktor Gyokeres transfer blow

Manchester United have finally brought in Bryan Mbeumo to immensely upgrade their attack, and with Marcus Rashford headed over to Barcelona to clear out some space, the Man United front line is starting to fill out.

But as Man United shop around young stars Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho, who can take the next steps of their careers with more gusto elsewhere, they still have a desperate need to find a striker to lead the line.

Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha, and Mbeumo are as good of a supporting trio as you’ll find in the Premier League, but Manchester United won’t be able to shoot back into the Champions League conversation without a striker who can reliably score 20 goals per season.

Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres has been frequently mentioned as a dream target for Manchester United, particularly for manager Ruben Amorim, who helped morph the Swedish international – and former English league player – into one of the world’s finest marksmen.

Viktor Gyokeres wants a Premier League rival instead

According to a report from Fabrizio Romano, intermediaries close to Sporting CP have offered Manchester United a shot at Gyokeres again, but Gyokeres has responded in kind by saying that his “only desire” at this point is to join Arsenal.

Although Manchester United have continued to push hard for Amorim’s pick Gyokeres as their main striker target, the 27-year-old continues to rebuff the Red Devils and maintain that Arsenal is his top choice.

Gyokeres has been closely linked with a move to Arsenal for weeks but has yet to make a transfer, leading many to wonder when that deal will finally be completed.

Arsenal are just as desperate for a striker as Manchester United, and that’s been the one thing holding the Gunners back from winning the Premier League. They, too, need someone who can put up 20 per season.

Man United should not give up entirely on Gyokeres, but with limited time and man power, they are going to have to pivot to someone else soon, and they already lost on Hugo Ekitke – another great striker on the market – to a different Premier League rival in defending champions Liverpool.

Right now, former Arsenal target Benjamin Sesko looks like the best striker target on the transfer market, as Victor Osimhen has chosen against the Premier League entirely, closing on a shock permanent move to Turkish giants Galatasaray, who, unlike Man United, will have Champions League football next season.

The weeks are dwindling down, and if it isn’t going to be Gyokeres as the savior up top for Manchester United, then the club had better get it together and find someone good soon.