Sources have told 90min that Everton are among a host of Premier League clubs that are monitoring the Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres.
What’s the latest on Viktor Gyokeres?
The Swedish forward, who has 18 goals and eight assists in 36 starts in the Championship this season, has attracted admirers in the Premier League.
Former club Brighton and Hove Albion, along with Everton, Brentford, Crystal Palace and Leeds United, are keeping track of the 24-year-old’s progress.
As per the report, Coventry would demand a fee of at least £20m, which is slightly higher than the fee the Sky Blues set during the January transfer window.
An upgrade on Dominic Calvert-Lewin?
This season, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has only made 11 Premier League appearances, with two of those from the bench.
Despite his injury-plagued 18 months, the 26-year-old has disappointed with just the one Premier League goal this campaign, which is a reason why Everton are once again a relegation-threatened outfit.
The Merseyside club sit 16th for goals scored this season, just one goal from the bottom. If they are to remain in the top division for next season, they need a natural goalscorer.
Gyokeres, who has been labelled as “not an old-fashioned typical target man” by ex-Watford boss Slaven Bilic, has been key to Coventry’s attacking successes this season, where he has carved out chances for both himself and his teammates, despite spending long periods as a lone attacker.
Most impressively, the Sweden international ranks within the top 2% for shot-creating actions per 90 (when compared to the ‘best of the rest’), where he has averaged 4.09. This, accompanied by his magnificent 7.19 average match rating by WhoScored, shows how integral he has been for the Sky Blues this season – not to mention his 18 goals and eight assists, per Transfermarkt.
Gyokeres’ form, which saw teammate Maxime Biamou describe as “unplayable“, has reaped praise from across the country, with former teammate Don Hyam telling The Sportsman:
“I don’t think he’s got a ceiling, to be honest.
“I think he’s so good at what he does, his attributes are so rare as well. Obviously, strikers have their qualities, but there’s nothing he’s bad at.”
Everton’s current Premier League woes need to be fixed and the former FC St. Pauli forward could do just that. Signing a player who has come off the back of a brilliant and successful season in the Championship could provide the boost that is needed for the Merseyside club.
If Calvert-Lewin returns to form, then the pairing could form a formidable duo which would cause problems for the majority of Premier League sides.