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Exclusive: Leeds Utd planning to sign league’s second top scorer regardless of whether they’re relegated

Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres

Leeds Utd are plotting a move for a striker who is second in his league’s top scorers chart irrespective of whether they stay up or go down this season, TEAMtalk understands.

The Whites will hope the appointment of former Watford boss Javi Gracia will be the spark that guides them to safety. Leeds confirmed they’d struck an agreement to appoint the 52-year-old Spaniard on Tuesday afternoon.

Gracia will sign until the end of the season once a work permit has been secured. His contract was described as “flexible”, with Leeds expert Phil Hay suggesting there’s scope for an extension that’ll run into the 2023/24 campaign.

That scenario is only likely to unfold if Leeds do successfully beat the drop with Gracia at the helm. However, TEAMtalk has exclusively learned a striker signing is in the works regardless of whether they’re relegated.

Coventry City’s Viktor Gyokeres is regarded as one of the best forwards outside the Premier League following his goalscoring exploits in the Championship over the last couple of seasons.

The Sweden international has netted 14 goals and provided four assists in all competitions for Coventry so far this season. Only Middlesbrough’s Chuba Akpom (19) has found the net more frequently in England’s second division this year.

The likes of Bournemouth and Everton were credited with an interest in Gyokeres in the January transfer window.

However, Coventry managed to keep hold of their lethal frontman by pricing them out of a move through their £25m price tag.

The 24-year-old will be entering the final year of his contract at Coventry this summer and the Sky Blues will find it hard to keep him amid the risk of losing him on a free transfer 12 months later.

Leeds are big admirers of Gyokeres and they see him as someone who could be a key addition to the side whether they are in the Premier League or Championship next season.

Gyokeres joined Coventry from Brighton in the summer of 2021 after never making a league appearance for the Seagulls during his two years at the club.

In the event Gracia is retained beyond the current campaign, he may find himself gifted a brand new centre-forward as the club’s first piece of business in the summer.

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