Man Utd transfers: Top target rejects Ruben Amorim as unwanted star’s move collapses

Ruben Amorim is desperate to land some top quality signings to overhaul his struggling Manchester United squad and he has already taken the first step by landing Wolves forward Matheus Cunha

Manchester United have a lot of work to do to return to the Premier League’s summit after their difficult first season under Ruben Amorim.

The Portuguese coach could not arrest the team’s alarming slide down the table as they ended up finishing 15th and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham – but now he is aiming to bounce back by securing a raft of top signings.

United have already brought in forward Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62m and are hoping to snap up Brentford frontman Bryan Mbeumo too – despite being rivalled by Spurs.

Amorim will also be hoping to shift a number of unwanted stars that will give him more room to manoeuvre in the transfer market amid the club’s perilous financial situation.

With that in mind, Mirror Football has taken a look through the biggest Manchester United transfer news and gossip.

READ MORE: Ruben Amorim ‘given very short deadline’ to turn things around at Man Utd or risk sackingREAD MORE: Viktor Gyokeres transfer takes messy turn as Man Utd and Arsenal learn ‘agreement’ truth

Gyokeres rejects United

Without doubt the biggest news in the last 24 hours is a report from Portuguese outlet Record, which claims Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres has turned down the chance to move to Old Trafford.

The Swedish forward has been one of United’s top targets since Amorim became the club’s new head coach – after previously working with Gyokeres at Lisbon.

United have watched the player underline his ability and reputation as one of the world’s best strikers after netting 53 goals in all competitions

But after the Red Devils missed out on Champions League football, it was always going to be an uphill battle for the club to attract Gyokeres, especially with rivals Arsenal also in the mix for his signature.

The report claims Gyokeres’ agent has informed United he does not want to join them, with Arsenal now securing the upper hand.

It has been previously reported that Sporting have rejected a £55m bid for Gyokeres, which is said to have triggered anger from the striker, who said: “There is a lot of talks at the moment, most of it is false. I will speak when the time is right.”

Leverkusen pull out of Garnacho race

Another blow for Amorim. The United head coach is eager to shift some of his deadwood – particularly Alejandro Garnacho after falling out with the player.

But Sky in Germany are reporting that Bayer Leverkusen are now “unlikely” to make a bid for the Argentine due to the mounting “package of transfer fee and wages” being too high for the German club.

United are said to have slapped a £70m price tag on the player despite his difficult season for United. He scored ten goals and assisted nine but only stated 23 games in the Premier League out of a possible 38 and was dropped by Amorim for a number of games.

Leverkusen are looking to build after agreeing to let Florian Wirtz join Liverpool for around £116.5m but are unwilling to break the bank for Garnacho.

A move to Leverkusen would see the winger reunite with former United boss Erik ten Hag, who has just taken over the Bundesliga side.

Garnacho’s future at United looks bleak after he was dropped by Amorim for the Europa League final, with the player speaking after the game to question the manager’s decision and admitting the team’s season was “s***”.

United set to welcome Leon

One silver lining for United amid a string of set-backs. Some supporters might have forgotten they actually agreed a move for a young talent called Diego Leon from Paraguayan club Cerro Porteno for around £7m.

Left-back Leon has previously earned comparisons to Wayne Rooney given his similar impact at a young age and buzzcut hairstyle.

United paid an initial £3.3m with add-ons for the 18-year-old’s services but allowed him to stay with the club until the summer.

The club will now welcome Leon to their camp at the start of July and his arrival should provide a boost to Amorim as a hungry, young player who wants to add competition and push for a place.

Last season he played 28 times for Porteno, scoring three goals, and will now link up with a number of young players United are attempting to develop, including Ayden Heaven, Chido-Obi and Sekou Kone.

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