Ex-England boss insists Man Utd already have a striker better than Gyokeres: “Very classy” | OneFootball

Fabio Capello wouldn’t be worried about missing out on Viktor Gyokeres, as he believes Manchester United already have a more competent forward.

Following Rasmus Hojlund’s abysmal campaign, the Premier League giants have been searching the market for a new centre-forward capable of guaranteeing goals. However, they haven’t found any luck thus far on this particular front.

United managed to complete the signing of Matheus Cunha and have made significant progress in their attempts to lure Bryan Mbeumo, however, many believed that their new-look attacking department would remain incomplete without a proper new No.9.

Man United still searching for a new striker

(Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images)

In recent days, the Reds intensified their attempts to sign Gyokeres but encountered several hurdles, beginning with Sporting’s president who insisted that €70 million won’t be enough for him to sanction the Swede’s departure, which sparked a public spat with the player’s agent.

Moreover, it has been reported over the past 24 hours that the 27-year-old rejected Man Utd’s approach, instead giving his favour to Arsenal.

Nevertheless, Capello wouldn’t lose any sleep over Gyokeres, as he believes Joshua Zirkzee is a better overall striker who has already proved his worth in a major league.

This is the answer that the former England and Real Madrid manager delivered when asked if his old employers, Juventus, should pursue the free-scoring Sporting CP striker.

“I’d go straight to Joshua Zirkzee, who had shown some very classy plays in Serie A,” argued Capello in his column for La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Juve FC).

“Zirkzee would also cost less than the Gyokeres who is being linked to Juve. The Swede may have been a goal machine at Sporting, but he’s 27 and has never succeeded in a top-level league like ours.”

This was a reference to Zirkzee’s time at Bologna, when his exploits helped the Emilian club secure a historic Champions League qualification.

Capello considers Zirkzee a better option than Gyokeres

Following his move to Manchester, the Dutchman endured a torrid first half of the season, culminating with an embarrassing early substitution against Newcastle.

Nevertheless, the 24-year-old has come a long way since that incident and has now established himself as a fan favourite at Old Trafford.

While Gyokeres is a classic out-and-out striker, Zirkzee is an unconventional attacker who likes to roam all over the pitch and help his teammates in the buildup, so this may not exactly be a straightforward comparison.