Manchester United ready to offer 23-year-old star as part of player-plus-cash deal to sign Viktor Gyokeres: Reports
Manchester United are preparing to include Joshua Zirkzee in their offer for Viktor Gyokeres, according to The Daily Briefing. The Swedish striker has been in red-hot form since arriving at Sporting in the summer of 2023.
Gyokeres has scored 66 goals and set up 19 more from 68 games across competitions for the Portuguese side so far. He has transformed into a goalscoring machine under Ruben Amorim, who is now in charge of the Red Devils.
The Portuguese took over as the Premier League giants' new head coach earlier this week, and has a lot of work to do at Old Trafford. One of the biggest challenges that Amorim will face at Manchester United is their poor form in front of goal.
Zirkzee was brought in to sort the issue this summer, but he has been a disappointment so far. The Dutchman has scored just once in 17 games and speculation is rife regarding his future.
Meanwhile, Rasmus Hojlund hasn't managed to impress either, registering just two goals in 12 games this term. Amorim's new team are crying out for a proven No. 9 and Gyokeres could be the answer.
However, the 26-year-old is tied to Sporting until 2028 and reportedly has a €100m release clause in his contract. Manchester United are now planning to sweeten the deal by including Zirkzee in their offer. However, they could face competition from Arsenal in the race.
How many goals did Manchester United score in the Premier League last season?
Manchester United finished eighth in the Premier League last season, 31 points behind champions Manchester City. The Red Devils scored 57 goals in 38 games in the league, the joint lowest among the top 10.
For context, City scored 96 goals in the Premier League, while Arsenal, who finished second, found the back of the net 91 times. Only a victory over bitter rivals in the FA Cup final perhaps saved Erik ten Hag's job.
However, the Dutch manager soon paid the price for failing to turn things around at Old Trafford. He was removed from his position at the end of October following a prolonged poor run of form.
This season, Manchester United have managed just 12 goals in 11 games in the league, and have let in 12 more. They are 13th in the Premier League table, with four wins and four defeats.