JUST IN: Manchester United could now go for £67m striker if Viktor Gyokeres signs for Arsenal – journalist
JUST IN: Manchester United could now go for £67m striker if Viktor Gyokeres signs for Arsenal – journalist
A number of top Premier League clubs need a new striker this summer, none more so than Manchester United and Arsenal.
Arsenal will sign a new striker this summer, while Manchester United are trying their best to bolster their squad in that area too, despite the fact Rasmus Hojlund is still rated internally.
Inevitably, when two high-profile clubs are looking for a striker in the same position, their list of targets overlap.
Both United and Arsenal are keen on Viktor Gyokeres and with Gyokeres telling United he wants to sign for Arsenal, it looks like the Swedish striker could be headed to the Emirates.
If Gyokeres goes to Arsenal, United will need a plan B, and according to Ben Jacobs, speaking on The United Stand, the Red Devils do have a plan in place for this situation.
According to Jacobs, Manchester United could go for Benjamin Sesko if Gyokeres does end up in north London.
Sesko has also been linked to Arsenal in a move that could be worth £67m, and it could be a case of United picking up the scraps based on which striker Arsenal don’t sign this summer.
It could be a scenario where whoever Arsenal go for it opens the door for Manchester United for the other,” Jacobs said.
“The natural expectation is that if Gyokeres doesn’t join Arsenal he hasn’t rejected Manchester United, so he could be a possibility, but I’m told also not to discount a scenario where Gyokeres goes to Arsenal and Sesko comes back into Manchester United’s thinking as well because 12 months ago they made a strong pitch and Sesko decided to stay at Leipzig.”
Benjamin Sesko compared to Viktor Gyokeres
Arsenal and Manchester United have a bit of a sliding doors moment facing them here as they will seemingly affect one another’s transfer plans significantly.
Indeed, Arsenal could directly impact Manchester United’s trajectory in the coming years depending on who they sign, and when you compare the two options, it’s clear which player United would probably rather have right now.
Viktor Gyokeres has been outscoring Benjamin Sesko to some degree as of late, and he knows Ruben Amorim very well too.
Sesko is a younger option who has been scoring at a respectable rate, but he’s unproven at the very top level in the same way Rasmus Hojlund was a couple of years ago when he joined United.
It will certainly be interesting to see how these situations play out.
### Where things really stand on Gyökeres → Arsenal and Sesko → United
| | **Viktor Gyökeres** | **Benjamin Šeško** |
| ————————— | ————————————————————————————————————————————– | ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— |
| Age | 26 | 21 |
| Club | Sporting CP | RB Leipzig |
| 2024/25 (all comps) | 54 g / 12 a in 49 apps | 17 g / 5 a in 38 apps ([outlookindia.com][1], [footballtransfers.com][2]) |
| Contract detail | €100 m clause; Sporting insist no bids yet | Variable clause €70-80 m, active this summer ([outlookindia.com][1], [footballtransfers.com][3]) |
| Current status with Arsenal | €70 m bid lodged, talks ongoing; Sporting want full clause or bonuses to reach it ([footballtransfers.com][4], [thehardtackle.com][5]) | Arsenal have held repeated talks but have not triggered clause; remain “favourites” if Gyökeres deal stalls ([footballtransfers.com][3]) |
| Current status with United | Player told United he prefers Arsenal move, per Ben Jacobs (The United Stand, 25 Jun) — forcing United to look elsewhere | United re-engaged agent after Gyökeres tilt cooled; they retain interest since 2024 pitch and are monitoring clause window ([thepeoplesperson.com][6], [thepeoplesperson.com][7]) |
| Fee United would face | £85– 90 m if Sporting hold firm | \~£67 m (€80 m) if clause rises to its ceiling |
—
#### How the dominoes line up
1. **Arsenal’s priority is still Gyökeres.**
They have tabled an initial €70 m offer and dangled a €12 m signing bonus. Sporting’s board are split: president Varandas wants the full €100 m clause, while the player’s camp cite a “gentleman’s agreement” for €70-75 m. ([footballtransfers.com][4], [outlookindia.com][1], [thehardtackle.com][5])
2. **If Arsenal land Gyökeres, United pivot to Šeško.**
Ben Jacobs told *The United Stand* that United’s recruitment team have already re-opened files on Šeško as their plan-B. Independent German and English reporting confirms the clause mechanics and Premier-League-wide interest. ([thepeoplesperson.com][7], [footballtransfers.com][2])
3. **Šeško’s clause window** opens on 1 July and escalates with performance thresholds. Leipzig expect €80 m if they sell late in the summer; an early, decisive offer nearer €70 m might persuade them. ([footballtransfers.com][3], [footballtransfers.com][2])
4. **United’s internal view:** Rasmus Højlund is still rated, but staff feel a taller, penalty-box finisher who can also run channels (profiles that both Gyökeres and Šeško tick) is needed to share the goal load in Ruben Amorim’s 4-2-3-1/3-4-3. Amorim already knows Gyökeres from Lisbon; Šeško would need an adaptation period but offers six years’ age upside.
—
#### Tactical & financial lens
* **Gyökeres** is plug-and-play: relentless presser, elite ball-carrying in transition, and a monster conversion rate (0.84 goals per 90). But the clause + agent fees push the outlay towards nine figures, squeezing United’s PSR headroom especially if they also want a centre-back this window.
* **Šeško** brings vertical speed and aerial dominance (6′ 5″), posting 0.55 non-penalty goals per 90 in the Bundesliga. He is still streaky in link-play: 14 passes attempted per 90 vs Gyökeres’ 21. At \~£67 m he is £15-20 m cheaper, leaves wage room, and suits INEOS’ “prime-age or younger with resale” directive.
* **Risk profile:** Gyökeres offers immediate 20-plus-goal certainty but little resale; Šeško is closer to the Højlund archetype United gambled on in 2023, but this time there is a firmer data sample and a fixed price, not an auction.
—
#### Likely next steps
| Date | What to watch |
| ————– | —————————————————————————————————————————— |
| **1 Jul** | Šeško clause activates; United must decide whether to strike before Arsenal pivot. |
| **Early July** | Sporting expect Arsenal’s second Gyökeres bid; if it touches €85-90 m including bonuses, deal likely. |
| **Mid-July** | United’s budget clarity once sales (Greenwood, Casemiro, Wan-Bissaka) progress; could free salary space to meet Šeško demands. |
| **Late July** | If neither striker moves, Liverpool and Chelsea are ready to enter, per reports. ([thesun.co.uk][8]) |
—
### Bottom line for United
* **Plan A remains Gyökeres** until Arsenal formally close the deal, but the fee gap makes that improbable.
* **Plan B (Šeško at \~£67 m)** is credible, aligned with INEOS’ age-profile, and financially cleaner.
* **The pivot moment is imminent.** If United believe Arsenal are accelerating for Gyökeres, they should be ready to trigger Šeško’s clause swiftly or risk a second summer of striker musical chairs.
—
*Need a deeper dive—perhaps a side-by-side video-scouting breakdown, or a look at alternate names like Evan Ferguson or Santiago Giménez? Let me know and I can queue that up.*
[1]: https://www.outlookindia.com/sports/football/viktor-gyokeres-transfer-latest-sporting-cp-president-frederico-varandas-reaction-manchester-united-arsenal?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Viktor Gyokeres Transfer: Sporting CP President Varandas Says There’s No Gentleman’s Agreement With Striker”[2]: https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/transfer-news/uk-premier-league/2025/03/arsenal-transfer-news-benjamin-sesko-release-clause?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Arsenal Transfer News: Benjamin Sesko’s price keeps increasing as new release clause revelation made | FootballTransfers.com”
[3]: https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/transfer-news/uk-premier-league/2025/03/exclusive-arsenal-transfer-news-benjamin-sesko-release-clause-steve-kay?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Exclusive Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners remain Benjamin Sesko favourites despite €80m release clause | FootballTransfers.com”
[4]: https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/transfer-news/uk-premier-league/2025/05/arsenal-transfer-news-viktor-gyokeres-70m-offer-sporting-cp-signing-bonus-agent-summer-2025?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Arsenal transfer news: €70m Viktor Gyokeres offer submitted as huge signing bonus revealed | FootballTransfers.com”
[5]: https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2025/05/17/viktor-gyokeres-has-gentlemans-agreement-to-leave-sporting-cp-for-cheaper-fee-arsenal-talks-advance/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Viktor Gyokeres has gentleman’s agreement to leave Sporting CP for cheaper fee, Arsenal talks advance”
[6]: https://thepeoplesperson.com/2025/05/24/arsenal-enter-concrete-talks-for-long-term-man-united-target-benjamin-sesko-294489/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Arsenal enter \”concrete talks\” for long-term Man United target Benjamin Sesko – Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person”
[7]: https://thepeoplesperson.com/2025/03/03/man-united-set-to-get-fresh-chance-to-sign-benjamin-sesko-as-release-clause-twist-opens-the-door-291576/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Man United set to get fresh chance to sign Benjamin Sesko as release clause twist opens the door – Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person”
[8]: https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/35571881/liverpool-viktor-gyokeres-transfer-arsenal-man-utd/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Liverpool ready to battle Man Utd and Arsenal for Viktor Gyokeres with AlexanderIsak transfer looking doomed”
