Viktor Gyokeres: Coventry City sell striker to Sporting Lisbon for club record fee
- Published
Viktor Gyokeres scored 43 goals during his two and a half seasons at Coventry
Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres has completed his expected transfer to Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon.
Gyokeres has moved on a five-year deal for an undisclosed eight-figure fee, a record for an outgoing Coventry player.
City confirmed, external that Gyokeres has now finally left "following the agreement of a significant undisclosed fee, the highest transfer fee ever received by the Sky Blues, plus add-ons".
The 25-year-old Swede still had a year left on his Coventry contract.
Having been beaten in the Championship play-off final on penalties by Luton in May, and knowing that Gyokeres was set to leave after weeks of speculation, Coventry had already signed a replacement in Everton striker Ellis Simms.
Gyokeres has spent six seasons in British football since first being signed by Brighton from Swedish side IF Brommapojkarna in December 2017.
He made five cup appearances for the Seagulls in the 2018-19 season before being allowed out on loan to German second division side St Pauli in the Covid-interrupted 2019-20 campaign, scoring seven goals in 26 appearances.
Gyokeres then scored his only goal for Brighton in a behind-closed-doors EFL Cup win over Portsmouth at the start of the 2020-21 season, playing two more matches before being loaned out to Swansea.
He failed to score in 11 league appearances for the Swans, mostly from the bench, before being recalled by Brighton mid-season and sent out on loan to Coventry.
He scored only three times but did enough for Coventry to make the move permanent in July 2021, for an undisclosed fee. Gyokeres responded by scoring 40 goals in 97 league and cup matches.
His 21 goals and 12 assists last season made him one of the Championship's most prized assets - and took the Sky Blues to the brink of a return to the top flight for the first time in 22 years.
But Gyokeres, who dismissed interest from potential suitors in January, wanted top-flight football and the chance to play in Europe.
His goals dried up at the end of the season, and City's defeat in the Championship play-off final penalty shootout effectively sealed his inevitable departure.
The fee for Gyokeres, reported to be close to £20m, comfortably tops the £13m Coventry received for Robbie Keane when he moved to Inter Milan in August 2000., external
It also beats the previous record fee Lisbon paid of 16m euros (£13.7m) to Sporting Braga for striker Paulinho in January 2021.
Cov fans had 'come to terms' with Gyokeres exit
Analysis - Clive Eakin, BBC CWR
This is news that Coventry City fans have had time to come to terms with.
The move has been on the cards for most of the summer and Gyokeres was filmed arriving in Portugal yesterday to complete the deal.
As they always do, City have described it as an "undisclosed fee" but they say it's a club record even before add-ons. Reports have suggested it's worth 24m euros, which is just over £20m.
Gyokeres first joined City on loan from Brighton in 2021 after a largely unsuccessful spell at Swansea and won mixed reviews from fans.
But Mark Robins saw enough to take a punt on a more permanent move and was rewarded with 17 Championship goals in 2021-22 and 21 last season on the run to Wembley, with 12 assists.
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