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Diego Simeone tells Atletico Madrid to sign Arsenal and Man Utd transfer target
Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone wants to win the transfer race (Picture: Getty) Diego Simeone wants Atletico Madrid to beat Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester United to a major transfer deal this summer. Simeone wants to bolster his squad in Madrid after a frustrating season in which Atletico have dropped out of the title race and were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals. Atletico looked set to rival Barcelona and Real Madrid for the league title during the first-half of the season but are 13 points adrift of leaders Barca with four games remaining. One area Simeone wants to improve is up front and that has led Atletico Madrid to Arsenal and Man United target Viktor Gyokeres. Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo say Atletico bosses are ‘dreaming’ of winning the race to sign Gyokeres this summer and claim initial contact has been made to discuss a deal. Get personalised updates on Manchester United every day Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. Gyokeres, 26, has enjoyed another incredible season at Sporting Lisbon, scoring a staggering 52 goals in all competitions. That follows the 43 goals Gyokeres scored in his first season at Sporting following a move from Championship side Coventry City in 2023. Viktor Gyokeres continued to impress at Sporting Lisbon (Picture: Getty) Arsenal have been heavily linked with the Sweden international as they look to sign a new striker for Mikel Arteta, who is desperate for attacking reinforcements. The Gunners failed to sign a new No. 9 last summer and had a bid for England’s Ollie Watkins rejected by Aston Villa in January. Manchester United were thought to be leading the race for Gyokeres as Ruben Amorim looked to reunite with a player he worked with at Sporting. But Gyokeres intends to play in Europe next season – something United will not be able to offer unless they win the Europa League and qualify for next season’s Champions League. Which club should Viktor Gyokeres join? Arsenal It’s obvious why a move to the Emirates Stadium might appeal to Gyokeres. Arsenal look set for a third successive second-place finish in the Premier League and they have come so close to winning the title without an out-and-out striker. Gyokeres would be an immediate upgrade on Mikel Arteta’s current options, which include ex-Chelsea forward Kai Havertz, the injured Gabriel Jesus and makeshift striker (at least since Arsenal’s injury crisis) Mikel Merino. More than just a goalscorer – as 11 assists so far this season shows – Gyokeres would also thrive in an Arsenal team that requires more from their forwards than just a poacher. Players speak glowingly of Arteta and Arsenal would be a stable environment for Gyokeres to continue his development and perhaps be the difference for a team who have aspirations of winning trophies on the regular over the next few years. Manchester United Old Trafford was immediately tipped as Gyokeres’ future destination when Ruben Amorim left Sporting Lisbon to replace Erik ten Hag. Gyokeres’ incredible first season came under Amorim and the ex-Sporting boss looks set to welcome a new striker to the club this summer after being left underwhelmed by expensive but struggling signings Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee. The chance to reunite with Amorim will be tempting for Gyokeres, who would also be joining one of the biggest clubs in the world despite their recent struggles. The problem, of course, is Manchester United – in the bottom-half of the Premier League – will be without Champions League football next season, barring a surprising Europa League triumph. Liverpool Gyokeres in on course to leave Sporting Lisbon as a title winner so who better to join than the new Premier League champions? Liverpool, on the verge of becoming English champions in Arne Slot’s first season at Anfield, could be the perfect platform for Gyokeres. Slot has managed without a recognised centre forward this season but Jamie Carragher is among those calling for the arrival of a new striker amid reports Darwin Nunez is on his way out. Liverpool could lose Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk this summer but winning the race to sign Gyokeres would be a significant coup and give Slot a reasonable chance of defending the title. Louis Sealey | Deputy Sports Editor, Metro Man Utd urged to beat Arsenal to Gyokeres Ex-Manchester United winger Nani recently urged his former club to sign Gyokeres ahead of Arsenal and said he would ‘love’ the striker to arrive through the doors at Old Trafford. ‘My last game of my career was against Sporting,’ he said. ‘We lost badly, it was incredible. After ten minutes we were losing 3-0. ‘But the way they play, the striker they have, Gyokeres
Diego Simeone wants Atletico Madrid to beat Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester United to a major transfer deal this summer.
Simeone wants to bolster his squad in Madrid after a frustrating season in which Atletico have dropped out of the title race and were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals.
Atletico looked set to rival Barcelona and Real Madrid for the league title during the first-half of the season but are 13 points adrift of leaders Barca with four games remaining.
One area Simeone wants to improve is up front and that has led Atletico Madrid to Arsenal and Man United target Viktor Gyokeres.
Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo say Atletico bosses are ‘dreaming’ of winning the race to sign Gyokeres this summer and claim initial contact has been made to discuss a deal.
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Gyokeres, 26, has enjoyed another incredible season at Sporting Lisbon, scoring a staggering 52 goals in all competitions.
That follows the 43 goals Gyokeres scored in his first season at Sporting following a move from Championship side Coventry City in 2023.
Arsenal have been heavily linked with the Sweden international as they look to sign a new striker for Mikel Arteta, who is desperate for attacking reinforcements.
The Gunners failed to sign a new No. 9 last summer and had a bid for England’s Ollie Watkins rejected by Aston Villa in January.
Manchester United were thought to be leading the race for Gyokeres as Ruben Amorim looked to reunite with a player he worked with at Sporting.
But Gyokeres intends to play in Europe next season – something United will not be able to offer unless they win the Europa League and qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Which club should Viktor Gyokeres join?
Arsenal
It’s obvious why a move to the Emirates Stadium might appeal to Gyokeres. Arsenal look set for a third successive second-place finish in the Premier League and they have come so close to winning the title without an out-and-out striker.
Gyokeres would be an immediate upgrade on Mikel Arteta’s current options, which include ex-Chelsea forward Kai Havertz, the injured Gabriel Jesus and makeshift striker (at least since Arsenal’s injury crisis) Mikel Merino.
More than just a goalscorer – as 11 assists so far this season shows – Gyokeres would also thrive in an Arsenal team that requires more from their forwards than just a poacher.
Players speak glowingly of Arteta and Arsenal would be a stable environment for Gyokeres to continue his development and perhaps be the difference for a team who have aspirations of winning trophies on the regular over the next few years.
Manchester United
Old Trafford was immediately tipped as Gyokeres’ future destination when Ruben Amorim left Sporting Lisbon to replace Erik ten Hag.
Gyokeres’ incredible first season came under Amorim and the ex-Sporting boss looks set to welcome a new striker to the club this summer after being left underwhelmed by expensive but struggling signings Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.
The chance to reunite with Amorim will be tempting for Gyokeres, who would also be joining one of the biggest clubs in the world despite their recent struggles.
The problem, of course, is Manchester United – in the bottom-half of the Premier League – will be without Champions League football next season, barring a surprising Europa League triumph.
Liverpool
Gyokeres in on course to leave Sporting Lisbon as a title winner so who better to join than the new Premier League champions?
Liverpool, on the verge of becoming English champions in Arne Slot’s first season at Anfield, could be the perfect platform for Gyokeres.
Slot has managed without a recognised centre forward this season but Jamie Carragher is among those calling for the arrival of a new striker amid reports Darwin Nunez is on his way out.
Liverpool could lose Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk this summer but winning the race to sign Gyokeres would be a significant coup and give Slot a reasonable chance of defending the title.
Louis Sealey | Deputy Sports Editor, Metro
Man Utd urged to beat Arsenal to Gyokeres
Ex-Manchester United winger Nani recently urged his former club to sign Gyokeres ahead of Arsenal and said he would ‘love’ the striker to arrive through the doors at Old Trafford.
‘My last game of my career was against Sporting,’ he said. ‘We lost badly, it was incredible. After ten minutes we were losing 3-0.
‘But the way they play, the striker they have, Gyokeres, it’s amazing. The way they played was amazing.
‘He’s making goals, he’s making assists, so I think he’s a player who can play in the Premier League. Trust me.
‘If he was playing the same today as he was one year ago I would say no because, in the Premier League, the defenders will eat him because he just wants to run with the ball.
‘But now, he’s playing with his head and he’s really strong. It felt like he was a rock! Powerful. I swear, I swear.
‘I would love to see him at Manchester United because we need players. If he can go to United and do the same that he’s doing here, I would be very happy because he scores so many goals.
‘He scores every week! If he doesn’t score, he assists, he creates for the team. He’s very powerful, he’s a player who can run for 90 minutes at the same speed. It’s incredible.
‘You need to come to Portugal to see one game and you will see how strong this guy is. Playing back to the goal and rotating… oh my god! No defender can stop him.’
Gyokeres’ incredible goalscoring exploits show no sign of slowing down, with the 26-year-old scoring seven goals in his last three games and 21 goals since the start of 2025.
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