Last season, striker Viktor Jökeres (27, Sporting) reportedly rejected an offer from Manchester United. Instead, he wants to move to Arsenal.
According to the British 'Guardian' on the 15th (Korea time), "Viktor Jökeres has reportedly turned down Manchester United's interest and prefers a move to Arsenal."
Jökeres is an active striker with strong physicality, sprinting, and pressing ability, receiving high praise for his passing and link-up play and selfless teamwork. His dribbling, acceleration, low crosses, and cutback abilities are also outstanding, enabling effective attacking development from the flanks.
Despite his large physique of 189 cm, he has excellent dynamic balance, capable of overcoming defenders and advancing the ball, and has almost no history of injuries. His weaknesses include a lack of aerial ball sense, decreased agility, and a tendency to rely on his right foot.
Jökeres scored 54 goals in 52 official matches last season and is viewed as a player close to being a complete striker. However, some weaknesses and issues regarding league quality create skepticism about a move to a big club.
Jökeres has attracted interest from both Manchester United and Arsenal, both of whom need a frontline striker immediately.
According to the Guardian's report, Manchester United has engaged in exploratory discussions for Jökeres' transfer, but the player's side conveyed to the club that "there is no intention to move to Manchester United." Jökeres sees Arsenal, who will compete in the Champions League next season, as a "dream destination" and is reportedly strongly wanting a transfer to Arsenal.
The media assessed, "Manchester United is currently in the process of rebuilding the team, finishing 15th in the Premier League and losing in the Europa League final, thus failing to qualify for European competitions. Therefore, even if negotiations with Jökeres continue, the likelihood of a transfer seems low."
It noted, "However, it is still unclear whether Arsenal's Mikel Arteta considers Jökeres as a top target for acquisition. It is reported that Arteta prefers 22-year-old striker Benjamin Šeško from RB Leipzig."
Meanwhile, Sporting has set Jökeres' transfer fee at around 80 million euros (approximately 1.26 trillion won).
[OSEN]