Coventry City field eight-figure offer for player as inevitable transfer saga ignites | OneFootball

Reports by the leading Portuguese sports newspaper, Record, claim that Sporting CP have made their first move in an attempt to prize away Coventry City's star man Viktor Gyokeres with a formal offer of €12m, with an additional €3m in add-ons.

However, this initial offer does not match the price set by the Sky Blues, who are believed to have set an asking price of around £20m for the 25-year-old who was pivotal in the club's journey to the Championship play-off final, therefore this initial bid by the Portuguese club looks set to be rejected.

This follows on from the Swede's agent, Ali Dursan, confirming that first contact had been made by Sporting, who have Gyokeres high on their radar as they look to improve on a fourth place finish in the Primiera Liga this season - this move would rank as one of their most expensive ever signings should it materialise further.

There are also plenty of other suitors closer to home, with Everton, Rangers and Brentford all rumoured to have interest in one of the Championship's hottest properties.

How influential has Gyokeres been for Coventry City?

Since moving to the Midlands from Brighton initially on loan in the 2020/21 season, the Swede has naturally progressed season upon season alongside his club as a whole as both are now firmly established in the Championship

The 2022/23 season has unquestionably been his best, having featured in every single league and play-off game for the Sky Blues, with 33 overall goal contributions across the campaign, finding the back of the net 21 times. This has led to many outsiders believing he can make the step-up to a higher level.

Will Gyokeres move on in this window?

There has been varied interest in the Swedish international since the January transfer window, and this has only intensified after Coventry's promotion bid was quashed at Wembley.

Whilst this initial offer from Sporting CP looks to be rejected as it falls €5m short of the asking price, it gives them and many other interested clubs room to manoeuvre as they look to secure his signature as early in the window as they possibly can.

Unquestionably, it would be a major blow for Mark Robins if he was to lose one of his two main sources of creativity, as between themselves Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer have received numerous plaudits for their contributions to the Sky Blues' efforts this season.

However, what looks to be a club-record sale would have a profound effect on the club's financial state, giving Robins a lot more to work with when assembling his squad and attracting new players to the club, as Coventry were ranked second-bottom based on the overall wage bill last season.

Fans will be hoping that the Wembley defeat against Luton wasn't the last they have seen of Gyokeres in Sky Blue, but a move away only seems more and more likely as the rumours intensify.