Leeds United January target given contract reminder as club owner ‘not expressed a wish to sell’ amid West Ham links

Coventry City manager Mark Robins has hit out at “annoying” transfer speculation surrounding striker Viktor Gyokeres with the Sky Blues boss insisting there is no desire to sell the player this summer.

Leeds United had expressed an interest in the forward during the last January transfer window before signing Georginio Rutter from 1899 Hoffenheim.

Gyokeres, 24, is reportedly a top target for the Whites’ Premier League rivals West Ham United this summer and it is unclear at this stage if the Whites would be open to revisiting a deal for the forward at the end of the season.

The Sweden international has just over 12 months remaining on his deal with Coventry, putting a number of clubs on alert. He has 18 goals and eight assists in 39 Championship appearances this season.

He boasted 22 goal involvements last term, with 17 goals and five assists in 45 league appearances. However, despite his uncertain contract situation, Robins insisted there was a desire from Coventry to keep hold of their star man this summer.

“There’s always speculation over players, and Viktor is one of them,” he told Coventry Live.

“But what I would say is that he’s under contract for another 12 months and I think people tend to forget that. So let’s see.

“The owner has certainly not expressed a wish to sell anyone, Viktor included. There are people talking all the time and it’s annoying, in fairness, because you have got people trying to do business in the public domain.

“But like I say, he’s under contract for another 12 months, as are a number of the other players so let’s see. Let’s see where it goes.”

Addressing his own future last week, Gyokeres insisted he was only focused on the rest of the season with Coventry.

He told Fotbollskanalen during the international break: “It’s just rumours. We’ll see what happens this summer. I’m trying not to get any information about it right now. I want to focus on the matches [for Coventry]. Then you can take it.

“There is no transfer window now. So it feels a bit unnecessary to put energy into it now.”