Premier League pair Everton and Newcastle United both missed out on Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres over the summer with the Toffees only offering £15 million up front.
The road from Coventry to Lisbon is not one anyone could call ‘well-travelled’. But, since swapping the Midlands for the Portuguese capital and becoming Sporting’s record signing in the process, the Sweden international has left no one in any doubt about his ability to make the step up from England’s second tier.
The outstanding Viktor Gyokeres has battered and bludgeoned his way to 11 goals in 13 games in Portugal, form which will have Everton wondering what might have been.
Everton missed out on Viktor Gyokeres
The Toffees, according to Record, made a bid of their own for Gyokeres. An offer of £15 million plus bonuses was rejected by Coventry, however, the Sky Blues later accepting a bigger bid from Sporting Lisbon. With add-ons included, Sporting could end up parting with £21 million for the one-time Swansea City youngster.
A fee which, according to Portuguese pundit Vitor Pinto, will soon start to look like a bargain. By the modern game’s standards, anyway.
“It will be very difficult to keep Gyokeres (beyond next summer). He is the player of the season at the moment. He has made a huge impact on Sporting and on the league,” Pinto tells Record. “A great signing from Sporting.
“It’s not common for players to be sold for 100 million euros. But Gyokeres can reach figures very close to that. If it continues like this, it will be very difficult for Sporting to keep the player.”
Newcastle United wanted him too
An Everton side still battling well-publicised financial issues appear to have missed their one and only opportunity.
The deep-pocketed, Saudi-backed Newcastle United cannot be ruled out with quite so much certainty, however, Record insisting that they too showed an interest in Alexander Isak’s fellow Swede prior to his summer departure from last season’s Championship play-off finalists.
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