European outfit leading Birmingham City, Cardiff City and Sunderland in transfer race | OneFootball

Cardiff City, Sunderland and Birmingham City are all keeping tabs on Beveren forward Goduine Koyalipou, who has interest from across the globe.

Cardiff City, Sunderland and Birmingham City are all keeping tabs on Beveren forward Goduine Koyalipou, who is attracting interest from across the globe.

The 24-year-old, who can play as a winger or a central striker, caught the eye for his club in the Belgian second division last season, as he scored 16 goals as Beveren finished mid-table.

Such form has put Koyalipou on the radar of clubs, and HITC has revealed that Cardiff, Sunderland and Birmingham are all considering a summer swoop for the player.

Goduine Koyalipou transfer latest

However, the trio won’t have a free run at Koyalipou, as the report adds that there is interest from the Middle East and France.

And, they also claim that it’s actually Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia who are ‘leading the case’ for the attacker, with the prospect of European football thought to be appealing to Koyalipou.

It’s unclear what sort of fee would be required for the Central African Republic international, who was top scorer in the league last season for his club.

Interest in Goduine Koyalipou is understandable

Clubs will have scouts and access to information on players from across the globe right now, so it’s no surprise that Koyalipou is on the radar of Cardiff, Sunderland and Blues, because when you score goals on a consistent basis, you will attract attention.

As mentioned, there was no talk of what fee would be needed to do a deal, but even though he has a contract with Beveren that effectively runs until 2027 due to an option they hold, you can’t imagine it would be a significant sum given they are in the Belgian second tier.

So, clubs are potentially seeing Koyalipou as a bargain this summer, and at 24, he is a player who has plenty of room to improve.

As well as scoring goals, he is a threat with his pace and ability to run in behind, and the fact he can also play across the attacking positions is another added bonus.

Birmingham, Sunderland and Cardiff need attacking options

This highlights how difficult the market can be, with clubs looking at the same players.

It also demonstrates the ambition of Blues, who have already spent huge sums by League One standards, as they’re once again competing with Championship clubs for new players.

Even though Chris Davies has a quality squad at his disposal, the aim will be to add depth at St. Andrew’s, and Koyalipou is someone they feel will help on that front.

With Cardiff, there’s a more pressing need to get new attacking players through the door, as they struggled for goals last season, and even though Erol Bulut has made some statement signings, more is required.

It’s a similar story with Sunderland, who relied on Jack Clarke for goals in the previous campaign, so that’s something that has to be rectified, especially as there are doubts over his future.

Koyalipou has been playing for Beveren in pre-season, with the Belgian second tier starting on August 17, so he is building his fitness.