Report: West Ham fall behind in battle for £25m forward

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The latest reports suggest that West Ham United have been dealt a big blow in their pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres as Sporting Lisbon are pushing to sign the forward.

According to Record, via the Birmingham Mail, Sporting Lisbon are apparently desperate to win the transfer race against the likes of David Moyes’ Hammers.

Due to this, they have sent their director of football Hugo Viana to England to try to complete the signing.

West Ham have been heavily linked to the Championship player. It was reported this week that they wanted to make a move for the Swedish international. He is apparently valued at £25million.

Gyokeres has been a shining light for Coventry. Last season, the striker managed 22 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.

West Ham dealt blow in pursuit of Gyokeres

Sporting Lisbon sending their Director of Football to England is huge news. It shows how much they want to sign him and also shows they believe they are close in wrapping the deal up.

Sporting finished fourth in the Portuguese League. This means, just like West Ham, they have qualified for the Europa League group stage.

Due to this, the battle for Gyokeres seems tight. Sporting have more of a chance of winning the title in their division, but most players aspire to play in the Premier League.

With this in mind, you can see why the Director of Football from the Portuguese side has been sent to try and finish the deal. If West Ham see Gyokeres as their future talisman then they need to make an offer soon.

The ‘brilliant’ forward, who is 25, managed 22 goals and 12 assists in all competitions last season. The Hammers also love making signings from the English Football Leagues. With this in mind, Gyokeres seems like an ideal signing for the club.