Why Coventry City needs to sell Viktor Gyokeres as quickly as possible – Andy Turner
Coventry City transfer comment from CoventryLive as the future of Viktor Gyokeres continues to dominate the headlines
Doug King may have given some Coventry City fans a bit of hope with his insistence that Viktor Gyokeres is still contracted to the club for another 12 months but many must now be resigned to the very real likelihood that he’ll be moving on this summer.
And it has to be said, the sooner the Sky Blues get an offer that meets their valuation the better; the sooner Dean Austin can get on the phone and start putting bids in for targets he and his new-look recruitment department have identified.
Let’s not beat about the bush, although the outstanding take-up of season tickets will provide Mark Robins with a modest transfer kitty, a big sale of £ 20 million plus is a game changer in terms of what the club can go out and get, to re-stock, replenish and strengthen ahead of their fourth season in the Championship.
City’s owner talked tough when he stated his stance on Gyokeres on BBC CWR this week, insisting: “If Coventry City decides that they want to have him on that other year because it’s more important for us to get into the Premier League, then that’s something he has to get into his mind.”
But with the player having already said he wants away, there’s no point in going down that road. It would be extremely naive to think that a player will give his all if forced to stay against his will, to be denied his big move for life-changing money of wages triple, possibly quadruple what he’s currently earning.
In his own words, King admitted that letting him go for nothing next summer would be seen as “a bit mad.” He’s dead right it would be. As much as we would all dearly love Gyokeres to sign another contract and give the Sky Blues one more season before going with everyone’s blessing, the reality is he’s clearly not going to do that. And, as such, it’s the correct thing for the club to cash in on their asset for the sake of the bigger picture – the advancement of the squad to an even stronger and competitive force in the division that’s capable of pushing for the playoffs every year.
One thing King was bang on with was his insistence that it is “not up to Viktor Gyokeres to tell the club, ‘I’m going here for 50p,’ in response to the striker’s claims that City’s asking price is too high. Coventry has every right to get the best fee possible for the football club, and it’s their prerogative to play off as many different interested clubs as possible against each other to drive up the fee.
They don’t owe the player any favors. Yes, he’s been brilliant for the team and been a joy to watch over the last two seasons, but the club has been great for him too. Mark Robins has given him the platform to make a name for himself and Adi Viveash’s expert coaching will have improved him as he continues to grow and develop. It’s a two-way street. But sometimes you just have to admit that it’s the end of the road for certain players in terms of their journey with the club.
Once everyone has come to terms with that it’s then a case of pressing ahead to get the best possible outcome. And in this case, it’s a hefty transfer fee that will enable Robins to keep driving the club forward.
