Viktor Gyokeres: Coventry City owner Doug King 'calm' at potential loss of star striker
- Published
Viktor Gyokeres arrived at Coventry on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee from Brighton in January 2021
Coventry City owner Doug King says he feels "quite calm" over the potential loss of Viktor Gyokeres, pointing out that the club's star striker still has a year left on his Sky Blues contract.
Speculation has increased that the 25-year-old Sweden international will move to Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon.
But King told BBC CWR: "The reality is that it's early in the window. There is quite a lot of interest in Viktor.
"He's clearly made his comments to the press and we'll see how it unfolds."
He added: "I'm feeling quite calm - and Viktor is still contracted to Coventry City."
King did confirm that the Portuguese side had made an approach to Coventry.
"Sporting Lisbon have been all over the pages," he said. "They have been in touch with the club.
"But it isn't up to Viktor Gyokeres to tell the club he's going somewhere for 50p. That is not how it works and won't happen in this situation.
"When a player moves, they have to agree their terms with a different club and the selling club have to agree a compensation package. If both of those don't work, then nothing will happen."
King was making his third appearance on BBC CWR since he took charge in January, a point not lost on City fans so often kept in the dark by the previous owners. He was asked whether he felt "disappointed" by the desire shown by Gyokeres to leave.
"To some degree," King added. "Obviously he's been on social media and made his comments clear.
"He's had a great season and is now playing international football. We bought the player, he's had two good seasons with us, we're still in the Championship and, from my perspective, he's on another year.
"If Coventry City want to decide to have him on that other year as it's more important for us to try and get in the Premier League then that is something that he has to get into his mind.
"Obviously then he would become a free agent and everybody would say that's a bit mad. But the reality is that isn't all one sided.
"We'll see how that plays out. I don't like these things being worked around into the press. It's not the style we should adopt but this is football, I guess."
Doug King completed his purchase of Coventry City in January
King also made it clear that, with the City players not due back in for pre-season training until 1 July, there is no panic to get new players in, whether to strengthen Mark Robins' squad or as replacements.
"We've known for a while that we have a big window ahead," he said. "But the reality is that these things don't happen fast. They happen when they happen.
"We're confident of building a team worthy of playing at the top level. We just need to find the right assets."
Despite City's Championship play-off final defeat by Luton Town, King is also greatly cheered by City's increase in season ticket sales.
Going into the week when the fixtures are released for the 2023-24 campaign, the club have so far sold over 12,000, although fans have expressed concerns over an increase in corporate box prices.
But King says the price rise is justified, as the previous package was under-priced.
"There is no profiteering going on here in any way or form," he said. "When we came back to the stadium we were selling at £8,000, which worked out at £33 a head. But that was the wrong price.
"We're trying to get high revenues. That allows us to have the quality of the squad that will allow us to compete with the team we need to get out of this league.
"Season tickets went out with the Premier League package. They have been selling incredibly positively. We've nearly got 5,000 season ticket holders, who are coming back to us for the first time.
"We need the season ticket holders that are coming back to us but we need the corporate partners of Coventry as well.
"All I'm asking for is a little extra. I don't want to be 19th again in this division. I don't want to stand still."
Doug King was talking to BBC CWR's Phil Upton.