Club president urges Man Utd to sign 8-goal EPL striker: “Gyokeres would struggle” | OneFootball

Manchester United have been told to forget about Viktor Gyokeres and turn their attention towards Everton striker Beto.

The Red Devils were abysmal in front of goal in the 2024/25 season, as depicted by Rasmus Hojlund’s four-goal tally in the Premier League.

Therefore, the club has been working on a major attacking overhaul this summer. They have already booked Matheus Cunha, while Bryan Bentford is expected to follow suit, especially following reports of an agreement between MUFC and Brentford.

Nevertheless, INEOS are still determined to add an out-and-out striker to their ranks, but they haven’t been able to find a breakthrough on any track, despite being linked to a plethora of possible candidates.

Man United told they have a better option than Viktor Gyokeres

(Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

While many thought that a reunion between Gyokeres and Ruben Amorim could be on the cards, this has proven to be a complicated deal, especially with Arsenal seemingly ahead in the race.

However, the president of Portuguese club Uniao Tires, Fernando Lopes, believes Man Utd are better off without the Sweden international, urging them to sign his old pupil Beto.

The 27-year-old is a youth product of Tires who went on to make a name for himself in Serie A during his time at Udinese, earning a £20 move to Everton in the summer of 2023.

“Everyone thought Amorim would sign Gyokeres as he had him at Sporting, but the Premier League is completely different to Portugal,” said Lopes in his interview with The Sun (via the Manchester Evening News).

“Teams are more physical and compact at the back, it’s quicker and more competitive. Gyokeres would struggle to play as the lone No. 9 waiting for service. Beto’s a more physical player, who fights with defenders and doesn’t lose duels. He’s a real headache for opponents – if he gets the service.”

Would Beto be the answer for Ruben Amorim and Man United?

This is certainly a bold claim considering the vastly contrasting figures recorded by Gyokeres and Beto over the past couple of seasons, as the latter only scored eight goals in the Premier League this season, and 12 in all competitions.

Nevertheless, Lopes insists that the Portuguese bomber is exactly what Amorim and United need at the moment.

“In their golden era, United always scored a lot of goals from set-pieces, but haven’t had a proper striker for many seasons. Nowadays, teams have small, quick strikers or a false forward because there’s an obsession for possession of the ball.

“Beto represents the typical old style, because of his physique, power and work-rate, plus he’s very fast. He’d be like Amorim’s ace up his sleeve in a game of poker.”