Anthony Onifade

Tue 20 June 2023 10:10, UK

West Ham United have “taken steps” to sign Coventry City’s goalscoring sensation Viktor Gyokeres and given new developments in East London, they should be earmarked as frontrunners for his signature.

The “Unplayable” hotshot has enjoyed a sensational 2022/23 campaign, notching 21 goals from 49 Championship games this season and attracting interest from a host of Premier League clubs including West Ham and Everton.

However, Gyokeres is also attracting interest from Portugal too with Sporting making him a top transfer target but the Swede recently stated that he feels at home in England, giving English suitors plenty of encouragement in their pursuit.

Sky Sports revealed on 7 June [15:16] Coventry are believed to want in excess of £17m (€20m) for his services this summer, with Claret & Hugh revealing on 14 June that David Moyes sees Gyokeres as the “natural” successor to Antonio at the London Stadium, with the Swede aware of the West Ham United interest.

However, according to a recent development, it’s believed the Hammers have made a move in the last 24 hours as they look to land the Swedish striker, who is valued at £20million (Record, pg 6, 19 June).

West Ham United certainly face a gruelling battle for Gyokeres, with Sporting and Everton also rightly in desperate need of his talented services this summer.

However, the Hammers after developments in recent weeks should be earmarked as the favourites for his signature.

West Ham United can offer the forward certain guarantees, he’d be a natural heir to Antonio at the London Stadium meaning he’d be guaranteed game-time under Moyes’ stewardship, especially with Gianluca Scamacca set to leave, while January signing Danny Ings also faces an uncertain future.

The Hammers simply won’t be spending £20m on a benchwarmer, that is for certain. Also, should Gyokeres choose to join West Ham United, he’d be playing Europa League football next season, playing for a club that recently lifted the Europa Conference League trophy.

The 25-year-old certainly harbours ambitions to reach the top level and there’s no better next step than to play in the Europa League, which Portuguese probably can offer him also, but not the guarantee of a starting opportunity that West Ham United can. With Everton narrowly avoiding relegation and embroiled in off-field controversies, Gyokeres will feel he won’t be given the right conditions to thrive at Goodison Park.

Coventry’s exceptional hitman Gyokeres certainly fits the bill at the London Stadium, though, given his wonderful and consistent knack for scoring goals and his arguable readiness to compete at the top level of English football.

The Swedish international registered a sensational 21 goals and 12 assists in the Championship and 17 goals and five assists the previous season, becoming one of the country’s hottest goalscoring commodities and with his contract at the Sky Blues coming to an end in a year’s time, they may well be tempted to cash in this summer.

In fact, Gyokeres isn’t just a goalscorer, but a sensational creator too. He ranks in the 97th percentile for “Shot-Creating Actions”, according to FBRef, and is in the 99th percentile for “Progressive Carries” amongst strikers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, proving to be so much more than just a classic number nine.

The Swede has rapidly emerged as one of Europe’s most efficient and complete strikers, all while playing Championship football, so the next step should ideally be the Premier League to further stake his claim amongst the best.

£20m for his services seems an absolute snip given the potential windfall the Hammers are set to receive from Declan Rice’s sale.

With Antonio’s wage package also said to be off the West Ham United books this summer, the East Londoners will have more than enough to make this exciting transfer a real possibility this summer. With European football on the cards, there’s no reason why West Ham United can’t be the frontrunners for his signature this summer.