Sporting Lisbon vice-president Francisco Salgado Zenha has revealed that the club has yet to receive any bids for Manchester United transfer target Viktor Gyokeres.
Reports in the Portuguese press earlier this week suggested that Arsenal had tabled an offer worth €70m (£59m) but Zenha is keen to stress that there has been no proposal from any team so far:
“He has three more years on his contract. At the moment, there are no offers, he has three more years on his contract. I think the answer has been given.”
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“[Sporting’s transfer plans] won’t be any different from last year. We want to keep the best players and retain talent. We want to continue to be champions, have competitive teams and fight on all fronts.”
“I have been in this role for seven years. In the years when Sporting were champions, we even made fewer sales than in other years … the fact that we are champions gives us a greater ability to retain players and talent. Coincidence or not, we have not had to sell any players in those times. Not that we have not received offers, but the market is not under our control, we are always dependent.”
A move for Gyokeres looks unlikely
With the Red Devils planning to spend £62.5m on Wolves’ Matheus Cunha, the likelihood of the Manchester side shelling out a similar amount on another forward is rather low.
Writing on X earlier this week, Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg said the chances of United recruiting Gyokeres this summer are “almost off the table*.”*
Man United are hoping to sign an alternative
While Gyokeres may not be heading to Old Trafford as things stand, there is still hope that Ruben Amorim’s side can secure the services of Ipswich’s Liam Delap.
The 22-year-old’s £30m release clause makes him a more realistic target financially but there is strong competition from the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton.
Delap was keen on returning to the North West, having previously played for Manchester City, but United’s failure to qualify for the Champions League has complicated matters. A decision is expected in a matter of days.
Read our exclusive interview with Paul Parker as he explains why Delap would be a perfect fit for United.