Osimhen over a possible move to Old Trafford, but not long after, it was reported that Gyokeres had turned down the chance to reunite with manager Ruben Amorim.
Despite both players being considered due to their consistent goal-scoring form, sources suggest Gyokeres’ representatives have communicated his decision to Manchester United, ruling out a transfer to the club.
With that option closed, United are expected to continue their pursuit of other forwards to strengthen their attacking lineup.
Gyokeres is ready to pursue a new challenge and has threatened strike action to force through a move. He said on Instagram: “There is a lot of talks at the moment, most of it is false. I will speak when the time is right.”
Last season, the Swedish striker—who previously featured for Coventry and Swansea—surpassed the 50-goal mark during a sensational campaign in Portugal. His tally over two years now sits just shy of a century.
Meanwhile, Osimhen made a major impact on loan in Turkey, leading Galatasaray to the league crown with an impressive haul of 37 goals, boosting his appeal in the transfer market.
Both forwards have drawn strong interest—especially from Arsenal—but won’t be moving unless hefty price tags are met.
Sporting president Frederico Varandas has said: “One thing you should already know is me better. Threats, blackmail and insults don’t work with me. I can guarantee that Viktor Gyökeres will not leave for €60m+10m (£51m+£8.5m) because I never promised him that.
“This game that the agent is playing only makes the situation worse. To this day, Sporting has not had an offer for Viktor Gyökeres, neither today nor last season.”
Former United defender Rio Ferdinand has said this week that the club should’ve prioritised a move for Osimhen ahead of Gyokeres with the Nigerian no longer wanted by Napoli despite his superb strike rate in the final third.
He said: “I think Gyokeres, everyone’s talking about him. Again, I think if I’m looking at the market now and I had to pick him or Osimhen, I’d probably pick Osimhen because of that experience.”
“And he’s shown he’s done it in multiple leagues now. And he’s done it internationally as well. I think he’s a top-class number nine who, again, the young players will be able to learn from. I’m not saying that Gyokeres would fail. I’m just saying that if I had a preference, I would go there.”
