Leeds United are interested in signing Coventry City star Viktor Gyokeres over the summer sales. But director of football Victor Orta is not currently prioritising a transfer for a striker.
That is according to Dean Jones, who reports Gyokeres is a forward whom Leeds admire in line with his remarkable form. But the 24-year-old is not the top option on Orta’s shortlist for attacking reinforcements. Nor does the Whites chief now feel signing a striker is imperative.
Leeds brought a new striker to Elland Road in January with a club-record £36m raid on TSG Hoffenheim for Georginio Rutter. The 20-year-old joined Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo with the West Yorkshire outfit. While Joe Gelhardt left for Sunderland on loan until the summer.
Sonny Perkins and Mateo Joseph are also forging the early stages of their careers in Leeds’ Under-21s. So, Orta feels the club will have a number of forwards to call on next season to let him focus on improving other areas of their squad currently fighting to avoid relegation.
Leeds moved up to 17th in the Premier League table with a 1-0 win against basement boys Southampton on Saturday. Junior Firpo provided the sole goal to become their 12th player to score at least once this season. Rodrigo is the Whites’ top-scorer with 10 over 18 games.
Bamford is another of Leeds’ seven players to have only provided one goal after 17 games, starting nine. Along with Rodrigo, only Crysencio Summerville (4 in 17), Pascal Struijk (2 in 20), Wilfrid Gnonto (2 in 13) and Luis Sinisterra (2 in 12) have also hit multiple goals so far.
Gyokeres interests Leeds but Orta is not prioritising the Coventry star’s transfer
Gyokeres has offered Coventry 15 goals across 33 Championship outings so far this term to interest Leeds in a transfer. Only Chuba Akpom with 19 in 27 games for Middlesbrough has scored more throughout the second-tier. While Gyokeres accounts for 41% of his side’s 37.
His form also has Coventry 11th in the table, five points from the play-off spots, while Boro rank in third. So, Leeds have shown an interest in Gyokeres’ transfer but Orta does not see raiding Coventry as a priority. Even though the 11-cap Sweden star also has five assists yet.
Reports by TEAMtalk also claim Leeds could explore a transfer with Coventry for Gyokeres regardless of their division. Elland Road chiefs believe he is among the best strikers outside of the Premier League. But the Sky Blues fended off interest in January by asking for £25m.
Though Coventry would struggle to demand as much for Gyokeres, who boss Mark Robins calls ‘unbelievable’, this summer. The forward will enter the final year of his contract in July.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
