Watford sold a £10m striker ‘identical to Viktor Gyokeres’ and he scored 31 goals last season.

With just Vakoun Bayo reaching double figures in the Championship last season, imagine what Watford could do with a Vicarage Road version of Coventry City’s Viktor Gyokeres.

Gyokeres’ ruthless finishing propelled the Sky Blues out of the relegation zone and into the comfort of mid-table after joining on a permanent deal from Brighton and Hove Albion in 2021.

led Mark Robins’ coupon-busting Coventry side to the Championship play-off final in his final season. If Watford, which finished 14th last season, is to see a similar climb up the division, a striker capable of matching Gyokeres’ 38 goals in two second-tier seasons would be extremely beneficial.

Watford has signed free agency midfielder Hector Kyprianou, goalkeeper Nathan Baxter and left back Marc Bola. However, the Hornets are making headway in their hunt of a centre-forward.

According to the Watford Observer, Vivaldo Semedo, a 20-year-old Portuguese striker currently tied to Udinese, is on his way to Hertfordshire. Vivaldo scored a decent nine goals while on loan as Vizela was relegated from the Primeira Liga previous season.

Only time will tell if the Portugal Under-19 international is as impactful a signing for Watford as Gyokeres was for Coventry.

Former Watford striker Luis Suarez could replace Viktor Gyokeres at Sporting CP

Speaking of Gyokeres, one coach believes Watford may have previously sold a centre-forward with much of the same attributes as Sporting Lisbon’s now-£60 million-rated striker. Luis Suarez left Vicarage Road for Granada for £10 million in 2020, before making a single competitive appearance in the yellow and black shirt.

Half a decade later, with Luis Suarez producing statistics that his former Barcelona teammate would be proud of with Almeria, Sebastiao Macias is convinced that a player he knows well from the Colombian national team could be the right choice to replace Gyokeres in Lisbon.

 

“[Suarez] has the characteristics to fit in well at Sporting,” Macias, who previously worked as Carlos Quieroz’s assistant manager in Colombia, tells Bola Branca. “Aggressive, straightforward, and not hesitant to confront [defenders] one-on-one.

“He possesses excellent shooting ability with both his right and left feet. He is a forward who doesn’t seek permission to shoot. He is also a very aggressive player, very direct, not afraid of taking on one-on-one defenders, versatile, able to connect between the lines and works deep.

“Therefore, I think he has all the characteristics to fit well into Sporting’s system and Portuguese football.”

Suarez left Watford because he didn’t want to play Championship football

Suarez scored 31 goals for UD Almeria in the second division of Spain previous season. According to the Watford Observer, his departure was partly due to the former Marseille player’s lack of enthusiasm in representing the Hornets in the English second division. Ironically, his best senior performances have come in the Spanish Segunda with Almeria, rather than La Liga.

“In terms of style, he seems to be a player who is identical to Gyokeres,” adds Macias, who is now in charge of the Estoril Praia B-team. “His aerial game is not comparable but, in terms of style, looking for the goal, aggressiveness, always trying to shoot with his right or left foot, finishing moves, he is similar.

“I think Luis Suarez is a bit more [of a link man], works more between the lines and can build more than Gyokeres.”

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