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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Stephen Killen

Everton face Viktor Gyokeres competition as Fulham 'plot' £12m move

Everton face competition from Fulham in the race to sign Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres, according to reports.

The Blues made a late deadline day move for the Sweden international but saw their efforts in vain as Mark Robins' side stood firm and maintained the services of their star forward until at least the end of the season.

Sean Dyche has inherited a forward's crisis as Dominic Calvert-Lewin struggles to maintain match fitness. The striker withdrew shortly after the hour mark against Arsenal in the 51-year-old's first game in charge but hasn't featured since - leaving Neal Maupay and 22-year-old Ellis Simms as the remaining options.

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Marco Silva's side were among the potential suitors for the 24-year-old during the January transfer window. But now, according to Football Insider, they're plotting another move as they look to provide cover and competition for striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The Cottagers sit two points outside the top five in their first season back in the Premier League and they rival the Blues for his signature as he enters the final 18 months of his contract at the Sky Blues.

With his time edging towards its conclusion, it has been said that the price-tag has been slashed to between £10m and £12m. The forward has netted 16 times in 35 appearances, in all competitions.

Speaking after Gyokeres marked his 100th appearance with a goal, Robins was reluctant to discuss his future. He said via Coventry Live: "I don’t want to keep talking about Vik because everyone is trying to sell him.

"He’s a good player and deserves everything he gets because he works really hard. But we have got a squad that is working really hard to create chances for him, so it’s always a team game. There are some times when he can turn a game. Tony [Mowbray] has talked about Diallo who can do that and do something out of nothing, which he did at the end for them.

"Viktor is very similar for us but you have to look at what happened behind it with the movement and runs, Brooke’s (Norton-Cuffy) power and release, Gus (Hamer) seeing that pass to Matty Godden with the reverse catching them out a little bit, and then the touch and pass from Matty Godden. And the run through the middle by Viktor - but they were two very good goals.

"Thirty-five in a 100 games is very good but he’s not finished there, that’s for sure. He’s going to be hungry for more goals between now and the end of the season."

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