West Ham United boss David Moyes is reportedly scouting Coventry City forward Viktor Gyokeres personally ahead of the summer transfer window.
According to The Sun, West Ham United have been keeping tabs on Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres extensively in recent times and look set to make an approach for the 24-year-old in the summer after receiving the green light from under-fire Irons boss David Moyes.
Gyokeres emerged through the ranks at Brommapojkarna before joining Brighton & Hove Albion in January 2018. The Seagulls have been finding nuggets in the transfer market. But Gyokeres appears to be the one that got away from their own ranks without ever realising his potential.
He only ever made eight appearances for the Albion and was loaned out to the likes of St Pauli, Swansea City, and Coventry. The latter decided to buy Gyokeres on a permanent basis in 2021. And that move has proved to be a shrewd one. In total, he has racked up 40 goals in 105 competitive games for the Sky Blues and is loving life in the second tier of English football.
The 24-year-old has been one of the Championship’s standout performers this season and is among the league’s leading scorers this season, with an impressive tally of 19 goals in 39 games for the Sky Blues thus far, also chipping in with nine assists across all competitions.
Unsurprisingly, his form has not gone unnoticed either. He has been subject to Premier League interest recently, with Brentford, Crystal Palace, Everton, Leeds United, and Leicester City all monitoring the 24-year-old. Championship teams like Burnley, who are in promotion hunt, are expected to be in the running as well.
The Sun has now reported that West Ham boss David Moyes is a huge admirer of the Swedish forward and has performed several personal checks on him.
With Michail Antonio’s future up in the air and Gianluca Scamacca linked with a move back to Italy after enduring a tough start to life in East London, another striker could well be on the agenda for the West Ham boss to bring some much-needed competition in that department ahead of the 2023/24 season.
This is a move that one could certainly see Moyes consider seriously in the summer. The Hammers have already had success recruiting from the Championship. And it would not be surprising if Gyokeres becomes the latest second-tier talent to join them at the London Stadium.
Coventry City are bracing themselves for a slew of summer bids from Premier League clubs for their star striker, and are expected to demand a fee of at least £20 million for his services. Mark Robins’ side are currently sitting eighth in the table and are only three points outside the play-off places.
However, if they are to keep hold of Gyokeres, they may need to return to the Premier League for the first time since relegation in 2001. It remains to be seen whether the Hammers will return with a concrete enough offer for the Swedish attacker come summer.