Man Utd 'stun Arsenal with Viktor Gyokeres hijack' as Red Devils 'close to agreement'

Manchester United have launched a stunning hijack of Arsenal's move for Viktor Gyokeres and are close to reaching an agreement with Sporting, according to explosive new reports from Portugal. The Gunners have looked primed to sign Gyokeres this summer after verbally agreeing a deal in principle worth an initial £55million plus £8.6m in add-ons.

However, the transfer has stalled after some resistance from Sporting over the structure of the add-ons, with the Portuguese champions said to be demanding easily achieved terms. Gyokeres had already rebuffed interest from United in favour of an Emirates Stadium switch, but his former boss Ruben Amorim might not have given up hope.

Reports that the Red Devils have hijacked Arsenal's swoop are rapidly spreading across Portugal's biggest outlets on Sunday.

SIC Noticias claimed that United were very close to reaching an agreement with Sporting over a transfer fee worth similar to their Premier League rivals' offering.

A Bola state that the bid slightly exceeds that of Arsenal, and a reunion with Amorim at Old Trafford is an increasingly likely scenario.

The outlet adds that Gyokeres' desired move to north London is in serious danger of falling through, with Arsenal showing no signs of life in negotiations for a week.

The 27-year-old striker is said to have distanced himself from the prospect of joining Mikel Arteta's ranks in the coming weeks.

Record have also run the story, but insist that Gyokeres' intention is still to land at Arsenal as the next chapter in his career.

It is thought, however, that Sporting are playing the game that is the transfer window by giving local newspapers a line in order to prompt some urgency from the buying club. Arsenal are still expected to be the club that sign the striker.

Gyokeres has refused to train with the Lisbon giants during pre-season in an attempt to force his exit, leaving all parties desperate to find a resolution.

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United likely do not have the money to seal a deal for the Swedish superstar yet, as Amorim requires player sales to boost his budget.

The Red Devils have splashed around £140m this summer to recruit Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Diego Leon.

While they will pay for Cunha and Mbeumo in instalments, finances remain limited due to a lack of European football.

Gyokeres is still expected to join Arsenal, but the signing appears far from complete.