Carlton Palmer believes former Coventry City star Viktor Gyokeres could have moved to the Premier League this summer after impressive Sporting start.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Premier League clubs like West Ham and Everton missed out on signing Gyokeres, who has excelled since joining Sporting CP.
- Gyokeres had an impressive record with Coventry, scoring 43 goals and providing 17 assists in 116 matches.
- Carlton Palmer believes clubs will regret not signing Gyokeres, as he has been consistent and is now valued at around €24 million.
After a spectacular debut with Sporting CP, Carlton Palmer thinks a number of Premier League teams, including as West Ham and Everton, would be disappointed that former Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres was not signed in the summer.The Sky Blues haven’t had Gyokeres for almost five months, and they have definitely missed him.
While the Swede is getting better and better for the Portuguese team, the Sky Blues are having trouble scoring goals on a regular basis from his replacements, Ellis Simms and Haji Wright.
How did Gyokeres perform with Coventry?
Gyokeres cost just over £1 million, and following an initial loan from Brighton, he paid City handsomely, contributing 43 goals and 17 assists in 116 games across all competitions.
When the 2022–2023 season came to a close and Coventry was painfully lost in the Championship play-off final, Gyokeres and fellow star Gustavo Hamer were sure to be gone.
After protracted discussions, Sporting emerged victorious in the battle for the 25-year-old’s services, and that event occurred in early July. November’s official paperwork disclosed that an initial payment of €20 million (£17.5 million) was made for the forward, with a further €4 million (£3.46 million) in possible add-ons.
The Coventry Telegraph cited official paperwork presented by Sporting in November, which also state that the Sky Blues have a sell-on clause.
That is presently set at around 15% of Gyokeres’ next transfer cost; but, if the striker meets the requirements for Sporting to pay Coventry the add-ons within that window of time, that proportion may be lowered to 10%.
Numerous elite teams are reportedly interested in signing Fabricio Romano due to his outstanding start with the Portuguese powerhouses.
Viktor Gyokeres career stats (selected) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
Coventry City | 116 | 43 | 17 |
Sporting CP | 16 | 13 | 6 |
Sweden | 19 | 5 | 2 |
What are the pundits saying about Viktor Gyokeres?
Ex-England international Carlton Palmer believes Premier League clubs missed a trick this summer in not taking a chance on the 25-year-old, who has gone on to prove his class even further in Portugal.
He said: “Clubs are monitoring the situation with Gyokeres, who has shown fine form since his summer move to Sporting. The Swedish international has netted 13 goals in his last 16 appearances.
“I’m surprised that no Premier League club had a punt on him after back-to-back top seasons in the Championship scoring 17 goals and 21 goals.
“He’s very consistent and at €24 million he was surely worth a punt. However, Coventry are set to be the beneficiaries should he be sold, with up to 15 per cent profit on a future sale.
“Clubs like Everton and West Ham will be kicking themselves for not buying him when they had the chance.”
What next for Gyokeres?
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