Coventry City aren’t likely to receive another cash boost via Viktor Gyokeres in January after the Swedish striker ruled out a mid-season transfer.
Gyokeres is one of the most in-demand players in Europe due to his stunning goalscoring form with Portuguese side Sporting since leaving the Sky Blues 18 months ago. Having bagged 41 in 52 games in all competitions in his first season, Gyokeres has already netted 23 times in 16 outings this term – including a hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League.
Manchester United have been heavily linked with Gyokeres since it was announced that Ruben Amorim would be leaving Sporting to become manager at Old Trafford, but the pair aren’t likely to be reunited in January.
Speaking to Swedish outlet Fotbollskanalen, Gyokeres said of his future: “It’s not something I think about, nor something I give any importance to. It’s just rumours, nothing concrete. Of course, I want to finish the season at Sporting, I’m enjoying my time there. I don’t feel stressed about making a change in the future. We’ll see when the time comes.”
Coventry have so far secured £20million for Gyokeres, who scored 40 goals in 97 appearances for the Sky Blues, and stand to profit from the 26-year-old’s next transfer.
Coventry are expected to receive 10 percent of any profit on that £20m that Sporting bank when they sell the striker. Gyokeres has a €100m (£84m) release clause at Sporting meaning Coventry will bank an extra £6.4m if it’s triggered.
Sky Blues owner Doug King said: “Look, the deal we did with Viktor was a difficult deal to get done. He was going to Sporting Lisbon, Sporting Lisbon, Sporting Lisbon or Sporting Lisbon and they felt they were going to get what they wanted and we had to fight hard to get our deal. And the deal we got, I thought, was pretty damn good considering he had one year left and could have signed a pre-contract in four months.
“He’s obviously shot the lights out, which tells you what he did for us in that 22/23 season where we played very transitionary football, and if he’d have got injured in that second half of the season… I was more concerned with relegation, to be honest with you.
“Look, it will come or it won’t. I was happy with the deal and if he flogs on for 100 million Euros then we get some money to put into the coffers. We have already invested a lot of money into this club.”
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