Former Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres is keen to join Premier League title chasers Arsenal this summer, according to Football Transfers.
The 25-year-old only departed the Sky Blues last summer in a reported £20 million move to Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon. He had appeared on the radar of many clubs after bagging 21 goals in 46 Championship appearances last season, helping Mark Robins’ side reach the play-off final, where they lost to Luton Town on penalties.
He’s hit the ground running for his new club with 36 goals in all competitions, which has seen Sporting top the Primeira Liga. However, this form has caught the attention of a host of top tier clubs in England.
It’s been widely reported that the Leões have a €100 million release clause in his contract, although that figure has apparently failed to put off any potential suitors. Alongside the Gunners, Chelsea are said to be keen, with both targeting a new attacker in the close season.
According to Football Transfers, the Blues do maintain an interest, but are yet to make contact with the player’s representatives. Arsenal are prepared to push forward with the move though, although they are hoping to negotiate Sporting’s asking price down. It is claimed that it would take an initial bid of £68.5 million, rising to £85 million with add-ons.
Furthermore, the Swedish international is also keen to head to the Emirates Stadium and has made joining Mikel Arteta’s team his ‘first-choice club’ this summer.
Should the transfer come to fruition, Coventry would be set for a significant windfall. The club hold a 15% sell-on clause on any profit made on the player, meaning they could stand to inherit another £7.25 million from the deal.
The West Midlands-based side are currently targeting a second successive play-off place and sit five points behind sixth-placed Norwich City in seventh. They do possess a game in hand on the Canaries and travel the short distance to relegation-threatened Birmingham City on Saturday.
Writer’s View
This is a story that Coventry will be following very closely. There is still a chance that they could be playing in the Premier League next season and this could boost their transfer coffers significantly. That said, it could have just as much of an impact should they remain in the Championship and alongside their FA Cup earnings this season, they could have one of the biggest budgets in the division over the summer.
As for Gyokeres, Sky Blues fans knew just how dangerous her was, but his antics in Portugal must have caught even them by surprise. It’s been an incredible rise for the striker over the past couple of years and he will feel that the sky is his limit. A move to a team in one of Europe’s top leagues looks to be just a matter of time.
