To sign Coventry striker, Sporting has made an offer of £20.5 million.

Coventry striker Viktor Gyokeres close to £18.5m Sporting Lisbon move after the Portuguese club edged out West Ham, Brentford and Everton in race for the Swede’s signature

Coventry striker Viktor Gyokeres is closing on an £18.5million move to Sporting Lisbon.

The Swede has had interest from Brentford, West Ham and Everton but Sporting have made the best offer so far.

The 25-year-old scored 23 goals in 50 games on the way to the play-off final last season, with Coventry beaten on penalties by Luton Town at Wembley.

Gyokeres has just 12 months remaining on his deal at Coventry – sparking a frenzy for his signature.

The Swede joined Coventry in January 2021 from Brighton, in what initially was a loan deal, and he has scored 43 goals and contributed 17 assists in 116 appearances.

Gyokeres has scored three times in 14 appearances for Sweden.

Mark Robins’ Coventry surprised many last season by finishing fifth in the Championship, before they beat Middlesbrough in the play-off semi-finals

However, they were unable to get back to the Premier League for the first time since 2001 after suffering penalty shoot-out heartbreak against Luton.

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A Coventry family are fighting to save their little girl after she fell seriously ill and was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer on her first family holiday in Spain. Tests showed little Hallie Reeve had developed Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukaemia (JMML).

The very rare chronic blood cancer develops slowly and occurs in young children. Sadly, Hallie – who, her family says, never stops smiling – has failed to respond to treatment of the cancer, diagnosed last summer.

Relatives have now launched a GoFundMe page amid claims the NHS cannot fund further treatment, which could cost in excess of £1 million. The money-raising effort has been launched by auntie Hannah Dugdale.

Hannah told how brave Hallie has undergone two rounds of stem cell transplants, chemotherapy and blood transfusions at Birmingham Children’s Hospital since the family flew home last summer. She said the latest efforts had not worked and the outcome of a third transplant was unclear.

“She has bravely taken on endless chemo, two gruelling stem cell transplants and countless blood transfusions and still always has a smile on her face,” Hannah said. “Sadly, the latest transplant has not worked and after global discussions, the team at BCH have said the only way left to save Hallie’s life involves a CAR T-cell therapy trial which will hopefully be starting in Great Ormond Street Hospital very soon, and if not then in America.

“This is going to cost in excess of £1 million. This is because a third transplant can’t be funded by the NHS and this therapy needs one. Hallie is the sweetest little girl, she’s is so gentle and kind natured (a carbon copy of her mummy) and deserves to be given every chance at a long and happy life.