I signed Arsenal and Chelsea's £68m target Viktor Gyokeres for Man Utd on FM - this is what happened next
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Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s reign as Manchester United’s interim manager came to a close on Sunday with a comfortable win against Leicester City.
After temporarily stepping into the lead role in the dugout following Erik ten Hag’s departure, the former Red Devils striker claimed three wins and a draw during his four games in charge and there are reports he is keen to remain at Old Trafford as Ruben Amorim’s reign as head coach gets underway. The former Sporting CP boss will officially get to work this week and there are a number of matters to contend with as he looks to make a similar impact to the one he has made with the Portuguese giants.
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Hide AdThe January transfer window is now just eight weeks away and there have been reports linking Amorim with a move for a number of the players he worked with at Sporting. Given United’s struggles at the top end of the pitch, it is no surprise to see the Red Devils linked with a big money move for Sporting star Viktor Gyokeres. The former Coventry City and Brighton and Hove Albion striker has plundered his way to 23 goals in just 18 games in all competitions this season and scored an incredible 66 goals in 68 appearances since joining Sporting during the summer of 2023.
We wondered just how Gyokeres would fare at Old Trafford so we fired up Football Manager 2024, updated the Red Devils squad to its present form and simulated the remainder of the season before reunited the striker with Amorim on the red half of Manchester. Here is how his first season played out after he joined United in a £68m deal.
Carabao Cup
We should really set the scene here because United are not in European competition and are focusing their attention on domestic success in Amorim’s first full season in charge. However, that success will not come in the Carabao Cup after a youthful Red Devils side fell to a 2-1 defeat at Championship club Luton Town in the second round. Gyokeres was not named in the matchday squad as Amorim opted to name a number of squad players and academy products in his side for the visit to Kenilworth Road.
FA Cup
Now this is more like it! Some positivity to report and a spectacular opening to a lengthy FA Cup run. United were paired with Arsenal in the third round of the competition as the Gunners travelled to Old Trafford in a tie that saw Gyokeres face a club that were said to have shown an interest in his services on a number of occasions. The Sweden star showed Mikel Arteta what he could have won by bagging a brace in a 3-1 win that sent United into a fourth round tie at National League club Solihull Moors. The non-league side had put Derby County out of the competition in the previous round but United were too strong as Gyokeres remained on the bench and watched his side romp to a 7-0 away win. The former Sporting striker set up Bruno Fernandes to grab the only goal of a fifth round win at Burnley before scoring in a quarter-final 2-1 home win against Premier League rivals Everton.
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Hide AdA Wembley date with Newcastle saw Gyokeres come to the fore once again as he scored one and set up Amad Diallo as the Red Devils claimed a 2-0 win over Eddie Howe’s side. However, disaster was to strike for the frontman as he suffered a hamstring tear and missed United’s final defeat against cross-city rivals Manchester City. Two goals from Phil Foden were enough to see Pep Guardiola’s side lift the cup, despite a Bruno Fernandes penalty offering United some hope of forcing the game into extra-time.
Premier League
Despite starting his career at Brighton, Gyokeres made his Premier League debut in the red of United and he marked the occasion with a brace as Amorim’s first full season in charge got underway with a dominant display in a 5-1 home win against Ipswich Town. By the end of his first month with his new club, the Swede had netted five goals after scoring twice in a defeat at Liverpool and a 1-1 home draw with Newcastle.
The Red Devils embarked on a fine run of form throughout October and November as they remained unbeaten to stay on the coat tails of leaders Arsenal and second placed Manchester City. After losing just two of their opening 15 games of the season, there were hopes Amorim’s side could mount an unlikely push for the Premier League title. However, a number of injuries saw the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Andre Onana and Manuel Ugarte ruled out of action for a number of months and their absence brought the start of a dismal run of form that saw Amorim’s team drop to ninth in the table. Gyokeres’ own form also took a hit as he scored just once in December and that came with a consolation goal in a 3-1 defeat at Brentford.
The return of Fernandes, who had sparked an instant rapport with his fellow former Sporting star, reignited a season in danger of flagging and the duo helped kick-start the campaign by grabbing a goal apiece in a 2-1 derby win against City. Five consecutive wins in which Gyokeres scored four goals formed part of an unbeaten run spanning seven games as United were thrust firmly back into the battle for a European place.
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Hide AdHowever, a torn hamstring Gyokeres suffered in the penultimate home game of the season against Southampton ruled the striker out of the rest of the season as Amorim’s side narrowly held on to fourth place to return to the Champions League. For the striker, there would be no silverware, but a return of 21 goals in 33 Premier League games was a more than adequate return for his first season as a Premier League player.
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