Why Swansea City should go all out to sign Viktor Gyokeres
According to BBC, Swansea City have signed Swedish international striker Viktor Gyokeres on a season-long loan deal from Premier League outfit Brighton & Hove Albion.
Swans boss Steve Cooper has confirmed his interest in the 22-year-old, who could be allowed to leave the Amex Stadium on loan following Brighton’s exit from the Carabao Cup. (h/t BBC)
The Championship outfit were desperate to bring in a new centre-forward to replace last season’s star loanee Rhian Brewster. (h/t BBC)
Charlton Athletic striker Macauley Bonne and AFC Wimbledon’s Joe Pigott have also been mentioned as potential striker targets for the Swans but they have signed Gyokeres eventually.
Profile
Viktor Gyokeres had his first taste of senior football with Brommapojkarna in the second and third tiers in Sweden, scoring 25 goals in 67 games for his boyhood club. He was snapped up by Brighton as an exciting prospect back in 2017 and went on to feature in five domestic cup games for the Seagulls during the 2018-19 campaign.
The 22-year-old enjoyed a successful loan spell at FC St. Pauli in the German second-tier last season, scoring 7 goals and registering 4 assists in 26 appearances.
Gyokeres scored his first goal for Brighton in the 4-0 rout of Portsmouth in the second round of the EFL Cup last month and subsequently started in the 2-0 win over Preston and the 3-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester United in the round of 16.
The highly-rated forward represented Sweden at U-19 and U-21 levels before making his senior international debut back in January 2019 and has been capped twice by his nation so far.
Gyokeres would be an excellent replacement for Brewster
Swansea City have relied on Andre Ayew and summer signing Jamal Lowe to lead the attack in their opening three Championship fixtures this season so far, with Steve Cooper yet to bring in a specialist centre-forward replacement for Brewster. Liam Cullen has shown a lot of promise but the Welsh U-21 international remains pretty much unproven at the highest level.
Lowe and Ayew have done a decent job in front of goal but it’s a no-brainer that Swansea need a recognised striker moving forward if they are to mount another push for promotion. That seems easier said than done, however, with the manager recently lamenting the club’s lack of spending power in the market.
Swansea were, therefore, right in looking at another loan deal to bolster their ranks, having already retained the likes of Freddie Woodman and Marc Guehi on loan from the previous campaign. Viktor Gyokeres, to that end, fits the bill as an exciting young striker with loads of potential and one who has really caught the eye in the domestic cup competitions for Brighton.
Besides that, the 22-year-old also racked up some very good numbers while on loan at FC St. Pauli in the German second-tier last season, a clear indication that he’s ready for a shot to prove his credentials in the EFL Championship.
Gyokeres might not tick the box as an experienced centre-forward that Swansea need but the Swede looks more than capable of providing Cooper with a quality alternative to Ayew and Lowe in front of goal.
The youngster’s arrival at the Liberty Stadium ensures healthy competition for places while facilitating squad rotation, something that remains indispensable over the course of a 46-game season in the Championship.
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Verdict
Steve Cooper is right up there with the best when it comes to extracting the best out of young players. Brewster was a massive hit during his loan spell in South Wales last term and Swansea City can look at Viktor Gyokeres as a player in a mould similar to the former Liverpool starlet.
