Manchester United have been looking to reshape their attacking roster under Ruben Amorim this summer as the Premier League heavyweights look to add some dynamic players to the squad who can play in a more vertical manner while having that pressing-heavy model which not only relies on static possession but instead has the capacity of taking advantage of moments, those of disruption with structured transitions and understanding of spaces and zones. This is at least the embodiment of how Amorim found success with Sporting Lisbon and how the Portuguese want to replicate that with Manchester United. And the commencement of this reshape will be starting in the shape of someone that Amorim already knows, Victor Gyokeres.
While Rasmus Hojlund continues to struggle at Old Trafford, Amorim needs to bring a physical presence up top at Carrington training centre, and with the arrival of Matheus Cunha bringing a more technical option into the side, you can use the Swede centre forward to add a relentless physical edge to the side, which is something the current roster desperately needs.
And given his splendid season in the Portuguese top tier, where he scored 39 league goals, Gyokeres has emerged as one of the most well-rounded and high-volume centre-forwards available in the current market.
How is Gyokeres a tactical solution at Old Trafford?
Will Manchester United get their hands on Viktor Gyokeres?
Playing under Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 / 3-4-2-1 setup, the centre forward is tasked with a few things, and we will get through those before figuring out if Gyokeres fits the bill for those frameworks. To start with, the striker is expected to lead the first line of press without the ball, and when it comes to his attributes in possession, the number nine is expected to make diagonal runs that stretch defensive lines while linking with number players around him (like Bruno Fernandes and Amad). Moreover, when it comes to central spaces, he needs to disturb the opponents’ central defenders physically and disrupt their movements. And when you think about Gyokeres, the Swede does bring all of this to the table.
If we look at his role at Sporting, Gyokeres has been playing with a freedom but in a high-discipline manner, given how he has pressed intelligently while combining with the likes of Pedro Gonçalves and Marcus Edwards. Having that awareness of choosing when to drop or when to stretch. In a way, if you think about it, he ends up becoming a presence upfront that the Manchester Reds haven’t had since prime Cavani, someone who has that capacity to bully the defenders and still link up play with a bit of elegance.
What does Gyokeres bring to the roster at M16?
Viktor Gyokeres in action, a prime target for Manchester United’s summer transfer ambitions.
He is a good physical presence who is queue capable in a target man role, but then the Swede is also mobile when it comes to holding off the defenders with force or getting into spaces behind with well-timed diagonal runs. The former Brighton man is also a weapon when it comes to transitional situations, making him ideal for the setup that Amorim is trying to integrate at United.
Then, as mentioned before, he can’t press the trigger in the frontline. Gyokeres is an engine, and he will relentlessly keep on pressing the back line and force the opponents into rushed passes, and this maintains the structure that Amorim wants without the ball.
And unlike Zirkzee and Hojlund, Viktor thrives in scrappy moments. Moreover, he has delivered consistently in high-pressure games and European games. This brings a sense of big-game mentality upfront that the current side is lacking as well.
Let’s get one thing straight…
While Hojlund has been linked with a move away from United, he is still a player at Old Trafford, so bringing in Gyokeres could not be all about replacing Rasmus. What if the Dane ends up staying at M16? Signing Gyokeres is about taking United’s attacking fluidity to the next level. You can use both of them together as well.
So if Man Utd are playing against deep blocks, you can use Gyokeres to overpower the back line, which will end up freeing Hojlund into wider channels or deeper roles. Then when it comes to a two-striker system (3-5-2), you can use Hojlund as the runner while the Swede operates as the pivot (this one is more unlikely given Amorim has signed Cunha for exactly this type of role).
See, in the end, Gyokeres raises the floor of the United’s attack by leaps and bounds.
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Author Opinion
Gyokeres is Manchester United’s power forward; if the Reds can secure his signature, one that they have lacked since Cavani (only with better pressing and dribbling than the Uruguayan), and in a system where Amorim wants to interrupt, press, and switch the ball quickly, he has the capacity to become an integral part. The Swede creates structure in attack while giving the side verticality and danger in the box.