Leeds United may be closing in on Georginio Rutter as their January forward of choice, but there remains a firm interest in Coventry City hotshot Viktor Gyokeres. While the Rutter move is understood to be more advanced, Gyokeres is another option Victor Orta could pursue if the Frenchman does not end up signing at Elland Road.
We spoke to Andy Turner, Coventry City writer at our sister title CoventryLive, about the Swedish striker, his situation at the Championship club and what sort of player he is.
While anyone with an interest in Viktor Gyokeres’s future will have seen Mark Robins’s firm comments, what’s your opinion on Coventry City’s stance softening if the bids become too big to ignore?
Not only has Mark Robins said there is “no chance” of him leaving this month, but the club’s proposed new owner Doug King, who is set to be unveiled in the next 24 hours, insisted in November the club will not be “sellers” in January. The club appear determined to keep him, for now at least.
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Under outgoing owners, Sisu, the likelihood would be they would have sold for the right price, but fresh investment means the club are in a far stronger position to stand firm. That said, if the club receives a bid that’s too big to ignore and, crucially, can find a proven alternative to replace Gyokeres, then there’s always the possibility it could happen.
Make no mistake, the striker is key to the team’s success and if he’s taken away the club’s season would be in grave danger of taking a nose-dive.
Assuming there are no hidden clauses, Gyokeres’s contract expires in 18 months. How big a factor will that be this month given the risk Coventry may see him leave for little or nothing in the next two summers?
I don’t see it as a factor this month. There’s an inevitability about Gyokeres moving on at some stage and that will probably be in the summer. By then he’s likely to have scored more than 20 goals and his value will be at a premium.
What has been said by the club and player about a new deal? Is there a mutual understanding he’s unlikely to sign another agreement?
Nothing as yet. As we have seen with fellow high-profile players Callum O’Hare and Gustavo Hamer, they were prepared to sign new and improved deals which gave City more security and kept them in a strong position should they receive bids for those players. I’m sure when the takeover goes through the new owner will address his contract situation.
For those who have only seen Gyokeres’s statistics, how would you describe his style of play? What are his strengths and weaknesses?
He’s built like a traditional centre-forward, but he’s far more mobile. His big strength is running at defenders with the ball at his feet.
He’s so strong and powerful and possesses good pace to get away from opponents and shrug them off en route to goal if played in behind, often down the flanks and cutting into the box.
He loves nothing more than to dribble into the box, twisting and turning his way past players and finding space to get his shots away. He’s scored the occasional header, but most of his goals come from driving runs into the penalty area and well-placed, powerful shots.
What’s your gut instinct on how he would cope with the step up to the Premier League?
As for how he will fare in the Prem, while he is still very much developing, albeit at a rate of knots, he has all the attributes to be a success at that level. As Mark Robins insists, he’s not the finished article yet, but he’s a top player at Championship level and there’s no reason why he can’t make the step up.
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