Manchester United called. Viktor Gyokeres didn’t answer.
The Swedish striker, after a season that shattered records at Sporting Lisbon, has decided Old Trafford is not his future. Fifty-four goals. Thirteen assists. Fifty-two appearances. Numbers that would tempt any elite club. But Gyokeres’ eyes are fixed on Arsenal—a team closer to the prize he craves.
As reported by Portuguese outlet Record, United pushed hard. Talks with his representatives stretched for weeks. Yet the answer stayed the same.
The move, in his eyes, carried too much risk. Fifteenth place last season, 42 points, and a rebuild with no clear finish line. Arsenal, in contrast, finished runners-up for the third straight year with 74 points. Their trajectory is upward.
This is no minor transfer. Sporting signed Gyokeres from Coventry in 2023 for a modest fee, then watched him explode—43 goals and 15 assists in his debut campaign.
Last summer, few dared trigger his £85 million release clause. Now, Sporting are ready to sell for £68 million, even willing to accept staggered payments.
The gap between United and Arsenal is more than points on a table. It’s vision. United’s past glories weigh heavy, their present uncertain. Arsenal, under Mikel Arteta, have a defined style, a clear goal, and the hunger of a team that has knocked on the door too long.
Gyokeres doesn’t want a sideways step. He wants a leap. At the Emirates, he sees the chance to lead a title charge, to write his name into Premier League history.
United, for now, will have to look elsewhere.