West Ham United transfer news as demand made on Viktor Gyokeres move
West Ham are one of a number of English clubs who have backed out of a move for Viktor Gyokeres, as they are unwilling to pay past £17.2million, according to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo [4 July, page 10].
Gyokeres had gathered interest from West Ham this summer, as well as Everton and Bournemouth, with all three clubs unwilling to get close to the asking price as the forward nears a deal with Sporting CP in Portugal.
Having scored 21 goals and created a further 12 in the Championship last season, Gyokeres is reportedly looking to be one of the top earners at the club, on a five-year deal, should he move to Portugal this summer as has been widely speculated despite Premier League interest.
English clubs are missing out, but it’s understandable
You can’t help but feel Viktor Gyokeres would be a success wherever he ends up next season, with a mix of physicality, pace and technical ability, as well as the versatility to play out wide if necessary, making him an ideal forward for the Premier League.
However, with the price set to go above £17million, anyone making a move for the Swedish forward would be taking an expensive gamble which they may not be able to afford.
Gyokeres had a brilliant season last time out and should kick on from here, but it has been seen before that a player will take the step up from the Championship and not hit the same level he did in the division.
Take Neal Maupay for example, the Frenchman scored 25 Championship goals in 2018/19, before managing 10, eight, eight, and one in his four seasons in the top flight with Brighton and Everton, after his £15million move to the South Coast.
In other West Ham news, one player has emerged as a possible Pogba replacement at Juventus.