How much is Viktor Gyokeres worth to Coventry City? £10 million? £15 million? More?
Sky Blues boss Mark Robins, following the Swede’s stirring solo goal against Wigan Athletic earlier this month, was unwilling to play the numbers game, insisting instead that Gyokeres is absolutely ‘priceless’ as far as Coventry are concerned.
“I think that, certainly, he is priceless!” Robins tells Coventry Live. “I think everyone talks about whether you can keep hold of people but let’s just enjoy everybody while we have them. The truth of the matter is that, at some point, players move on. Let’s just enjoy it. Let’s enjoy the moment.”
With Gyokeres in this sort of form, there’s nothing Coventry supporters can do but ‘enjoy it’. Four of the striker’s nine Championship goals this season have come in the last three matches; that Wigan wondergoal preceding a winner at Watford and a brace vs play-off chasing QPR.
It’s not the frequency of his goals, either, but the manner of them too that makes Gyokeres such an exhilarating player to watch in full flow. Every single attribute you could possibly want from a centre-forward was in attendance during Coventry’s recent 2-0 win at Wigan; a Berbatov-esque touch to pluck a high ball out of the sky, the acceleration and power of Didier Drogba taking him from the centre circle to the penalty area, capped off by the most unerring of finishes.
Viktor Gyokeres one of the Championship’s hottest strikers at Coventry City
According to Dean Jones, Leeds United have been keeping a close eye on the £15 million-rated Gyokeres. Ditto Everton (Football Skanalen). Given that both clubs are in dire need of attacking reinforcements as they battle against the drop, February 1st already cannot come soon enough for Coventry supporters.
“There was a grabbing of his shirt but he got away from that. It slowed him down for a split second and then the acceleration came,” Robins enthuses, breathlessly describing Gyokeres’ Goal of the Season contender play-by-play.
“And the touch inside and the finish was absolutely fantastic. It was a brilliant finish. If you go back to the goal at Watford last weekend, it was a different type of finish. He’s starting to score different types of goals now, and that only makes things better for him and us.
“He’s certainly a talent but there’s still a load of improvement there. A load of improvement in him.”
A scary thought indeed.
Everton continue to look lost without the physicality of Dominic Calvert-Lewin up top, while Leeds surely cannot afford to let another window pass them by without bringing in a new number nine to take over from the increasingly injury-prone Patrick Bamford. Gyokeres, on this form, looks like a potentially inspired addition for both clubs.
Robins had a point, then, when he told Coventry supporters to ‘enjoy’ Gyokeres for as long as they can.
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