Chelsea and Manchester United have been two of Europe’s biggest spenders in the transfer market in recent years. The Premier League giants have great squads on paper over time but will continue to look for suitable players going forward. One of those is Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres, whose goal-scoring numbers have caught the eye of the Premier League duo.
According to Daily Star, Chelsea are ready to rival Man Utd in a bid to sign the Swedish marksman next year. While it is said that United could hold the edge after hiring Ruben Amorim as their coach, Chelsea believe they can ‘steal a march’ on their rivals by making a move for the young forward in the winter.
The report adds that Gyokeres has a release clause amounting to approximately £88 million in his contract in Portugal, but Sporting Lisbon’s president is prepared to sanction his exit at just £67 million, provided he stays at the club until the end of the season.
Besides Chelsea and Manchester United, Arsenal and Barcelona are also keeping tabs on the player so there could be a fierce battle for his signature next year.
United favourites to beat Chelsea to Gyokeres
Though Chelsea are prepared to offer serious competition to Manchester United for Viktor Gyokeres, outgoing Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim already seems to have ruled out his exit in January. The Portuguese expects the 26-year-old striker to be in Lisbon until the end of the season, following which his future could be resolved.
If indeed Gyokeres has ruled out joining a newer venture in the winter, his signature could be Manchester United’s to lose given the close relationship he enjoys with Amorim. However, after spending big money on Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund in recent years, it remains to be seen if Man United’s board are ready to splurge big money on another striker.
Moreover, Arsenal and Barcelona could be more appealing destinations than Chelsea and Manchester United for Gyokeres. The Gunners and the Blaugrana are in need of a striker and he would be offered regular minutes right from the word go, but the same cannot be said for the other two of his suitors given that they already have a number of good forwards in their squads.
