(Credit: Imago / Getty Images)

Ben Palmer

Mon 31 March 2025 14:08, UK

Ruben Amorim will likely be fuming at Man United with signs now pointing to Arsenal making a serious run at signing his former Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres.

The Portuguese manager’s arrival in Manchester in November left many expecting the Gyokeres to join his former boss at Man United.

However, the January transfer window came and went, with no move materialising for the red-hot Swedish striker.

In spite of that, United remained keen on a move for Gyokeres, who found astonishing form under Amorim in Portugal, scoring 85 goals in 92 games in all competitions since leaving Coventry in 2023.

With both Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund currently incapable of scoring consistently, the former Brighton striker represents an almost-guaranteed goal-getter for the Red Devils.

But a recent report by The Athletic may have now thrown United’s summer plans into disarray, likely leaving Amorim utterly bewildered by his tough predicament at Old Trafford.

Viktor Gyokeres could be heading to Arsenal in shocking twist

The Swede’s connections to Amorim made it seem like a move to Old Trafford was near enough a done deal, but it now seems like Gyokeres could be heading to North London instead.

According to David Ornstein for The Athletic the 26-year-old is understood to have long been admired by Arsenal’s new sporting director Andrea Berta, thus shooting him up their list of targets.

Whilst Mikel Arteta remains a fan of Liverpool target Alexander Isak, Newcastle are believed to have no intention of letting their own Swedish star leave this summer.

Benjamin Sesko has also been considered by the Gunners and would be a more affordable option, but it is unclear if Arsenal will move for the Slovenian striker, who has multiple suitors ready to swoop for the striker.

As a consequence, Gyokeres is now a much more prominent candidate than he may have been previously.

A number nine is a position of need for both United and Arsenal this summer and should the Red Devils miss out on a move for “number one target” Gyokeres it is hardly going to ease Amorim’s mood when his difficult start to life in the Premier League has often seemed a far cry from his imperious form in Portugal.

With Man United working with a limited transfer budget this summer, a deal for the Swede may well be out of their financial remit now, likely adding to Amorim’s frustrations at having taken the job at Old Trafford.

The former Sporting boss made clear the need for a summer overhaul, with few members of the current squad being well-equipped to play in his 3-4-2-1 system, but it seems any moves made will be cheaper options, as the club contend with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR).

Ruben Amorim suffers from intense pressure during time at Man United

During his time in Portugal, Amorim was regarded as a calm, solution-oriented and cheerful manager, who led Sporting through a troubling period of unrest to become champions of Liga Portugal for the first time since 2002.

However, since arriving in Manchester, the chaos that is English football’s most famous institution has gotten the better of the 40-year-old.

He has regularly appeared flustered and frustrated, flying into a fit of rage after a defeat against Brighton and breaking a TV in the dressing room, something that left those in Portugal shocked [Trivela], for it was so unlike the manager they knew during his time at Sporting.

Part of Amorim’s frustrations have come from the intense scrutiny that comes with the United job, but other factors include the team’s performances and leakers from within the club, providing the media with team-sheets far in advance of kick-off, a disruption the manager never had to contend with previously.

Having previously been regarded as a composed figure, the amount of face-to-face interviews the Portuguese boss has to contend with in Manchester also seems to be having a negative effect, with his comments about his Man United side being the “worst in the club’s history”, being condemned to Football Insider by former United scout Mick Brown.

Adding a familiar face in the form of Gyokeres would have been a saving grace for the United manager, a striker he can rely on and build his team around, but it seems even that may be off the table, should Arsenal be successful in their swoop for the striker.