MIDDLESBROUGH transfer target Viktor Gyokeres has hinted he could be ready to leave Coventry City this summer.

Boro have made preliminary inquiries about a number of different forwards, including Gyokeres, as Chris Wilder seeks to overhaul his attacking unit this summer.

Wilder has lost Andraz Sporar, Aaron Connolly and Falorin Balogun since the end of last season, and has also concluded that Uche Ikpeazu and Chuba Akpom do not have a future at the Riverside.

As a result, he will need to sign up to three new forwards this summer, with Duncan Watmore and Josh Coburn currently comprising his attacking options.

Boro’s recruitment team have held initial discussions about a number of players, including Southampton’s Adam Armstrong and Newcastle United’s Dwight Gayle, with Gyokeres known to feature prominently on the club’s list of potential targets.

The Swedish 24-year-old moved to England when he joined Brighton in 2018, and made the switch to Coventry last summer after enjoying a successful six-month loan spell at the Ricoh Arena.

He scored 18 goals in all competitions for the Sky Blues last season, with his performances flagging him up as one of the most exciting forwards in the Football League.

He has two more years of his current contract remaining, but Coventry’s financial position means they will find it difficult to turn down offers for their most saleable asset.

The Northern Echo:

Fulham have been heavily linked with a possible move for his services in the wake of their promotion back to the Premier League last season, but Boro will feel they have a decent chance of luring Gyokeres to Teesside if they opt to firm up their current interest in the next few days.

It has been difficult to take things forward in the last couple of weeks as the Swede has been on international duty in the Nations League. He came off the bench to score Sweden’s final goal in their 3-2 defeat to Scandinavian neighbours Norway on Sunday, and has been speaking about his future plans with the Swedish press.

While he did not explicitly state that he would be leaving Coventry, he hardly played down the prospect of heading to pastures new this summer.

When asked whether he would consider a move away from Coventry, he said: “I always aim as high up as possible, so we’ll see what happens this summer. I focus on being here now and doing well, then I get to take that bit after that.”

When the issue of his future was brought up again later in the conversation, he added: “I have no idea (if he will remain with Coventry). I’m there now anyway.”

While Boro are yet to formally announce their first signing of the transfer window, they have agreed a deal with Darragh Lenihan, who is a free agent after turning down the offer of a new deal at Blackburn Rovers.

They have also confirmed the departure of Nathan Wood, with Swansea boss Russell Martin revealing he had come close to signing the centre-half on a number of different occasions in the past.

Wood’s switch to the Swans was confirmed on Friday night, with the 20-year-old having signed a two-year deal at the Liberty Stadium.

“Nathan is a player I have wanted for two years now,” said Martin. “I have been close to signing him a few times when I was at MK Dons.

“So, to actually have him here is a great, and I think he will add a lot to us in terms of his athleticism, and he brings a huge hunger and desire to play games.”