Who United should sign between Gyokeres, Osimhen or Ekitike – opinion | OneFootball

If there is one position on the pitch where Manchester United are suffering from a glaring lack of ability, it’s up top.

Now, with the summer transfer window well underway, Man United can focus on overcoming this shortfall, with several potential targets in their sights.

Having already completed the signing of Matheus Cunha and with Bryan Mbeumo seemingly on his way to Old Trafford, United now need to focus on signing a proven goal scorer.

As of this moment, it seems that Victor Osimhen, Viktor Gyokeres, and Hugo Ekitike are the most likely candidates for United to pursue this summer. Still, the likelihood of signing all three is minimal given the finances involved.

Let’s compare the players across financial, performance, and personality metrics to determine who is the ideal striker for United to sign this summer.

Financial

Given the ongoing feud between Gyokeres and his current club, Sporting, it’s clear that he will not come cheap.

With Arsenal supposedly preparing an improved bid of €60 million for the Swede, Sporting is expected to reject their offer, particularly after the Portuguese club raised its asking price to €80 million.

What’s more, his contract termination clause is €100 million, yet another obscene figure.

Gyokeres’ valuation could go up even further, given that Liverpool have reportedly signalled their interest in him, thereby intensifying the race even further.

Hugo Ekitike appears to be commanding a steep fee of his own, namely £85 million. This comes as he attracts interest from a range of Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool.

Then there’s Osimhen. While the Nigerian has a €75m release clause, he could be available for cheaper if United wait for its expiry before making a move.

Still, even if United were to pay the current price, Osimhen proves to be cheaper than both Ekitike and Gyokeres, all while avoiding a heated transfer race that could push his valuation skywards.

Winner: Osimhen

Performance

This season, Viktor Gyokeres attracted eyes from all over Europe, given his scintillating performance. With 39 goals in 33 Liga Portugal games, the Swede was unstoppable all season.

He also managed an impressive six goals in eight UEFA Champions League matches, proving his ability to play at the top level of European football.

Ekitike also enjoyed a promising season, albeit not as impressive as Gyokeres. With 15 goals and eight assists in 33 Bundesliga matches, Ekitike was crucial for Eintracht Frankfurt. He also bagged four goals and three assists in 12 Europa League matches this season, proving to be a decent finisher as well as a creative passer. (Sofascore)

Osimhen spent the season on loan at Galatasaray, where he bagged an impressive 26 goals and five assists in 30 Super Lig games. He proved just as clinical in the Europa League, scoring six goals in seven matches. (Transfermarkt)

Unlike Ekitike and Gyokeres, however, Osimhen actually achieved his career breakthrough before last season.

The Nigerian reached the peak of his career at Naploi during the 2022/23 season, scoring 26 goals and making five assists in 32 Serie A games. What’s more, he helped Napoli to win their first league title in 33 years.

While both Osimhen and Gyokeres have been highly impressive in both their respective leagues and Europe, Osimhen undoubtedly faced a greater challenge in Italy, given that the level of competition in Serie A is steeper than Liga Portugal. As such, Osimhen emerges as the frontrunner again.

Winner: Osimhen

Personality

While Gyokeres has allegedly expressed his interest in joining United, he could prove to be a difficult personality for United to keep satisfied.

After all, he appears to be attracting interest from a whole host of clubs, including Arsenal, Juventus, and Liverpool, and as such, may not remain satisfied for long should United not achieve success soon enough.

We’ve also seen how he reacts when his back is against the wall. Given Sporting’s decision to keep hiking up their asking price for Gyokeres, the player hasn’t responded well at all, refusing to accept club president Frederico Varandas’ invitation to have a meeting to make amends. Furthermore, reports suggest that the player is even considering going on strike in protest of his feud with Sporting.

Although the club’s actions appear questionable, so too does Gyokeres’ behaviour, especially when he refused an olive branch.

Osimhen has experienced plenty of drama of his own, leading to his loan to Galatasaray. His relationship with Napoli was strained following the collapse of his transfer to Al-Ahli, and he even took down all images of him wearing a Napoli jersey from his Instagram page in retaliation, exhibiting some poor behaviour of his own.

As for Ekitike, he appears to be a player devoid of any clear controversies, making him a more ideal personality for United to deal with.

Winner: Ekitike

The Verdict

Given his performances at the summit of European football as well as his more affordable price tag, Osimhen seems to be United’s best option this transfer window. Should his shady past with Napoli prove to be too big a concern to avoid, however, then Ekitike seems to be a reliable backup option who will surely serve Ruben Amorim well. While Gyokeres is an undoubtedly elite-level striker, his high fee along with his intense feud with Sporting mean that he falls down the pecking order of players that United should undoubtedly sign this summer.

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