MIDDLESBROUGH are reportedly keen on bringing Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres to the Riverside Stadium for next season but currently face a financial obstacle in trying to fund the move.

The Swedish international is the subject of interest from a number of clubs with the Sky Blues facing a fight on their hands to keep him. The 24-year-old scored 18 goals in 49 appearances in all competitions where he scored against Boro to help beat Neil Warnock’s side 2-0 in September last year.

The suggestion is that Boro will have to fend off the pursuits of recently promoted Fulham who will be playing Premier League football next season. While they may struggle to match the financial power of the Cottagers after their recent Championship title winning season, Boro are looking to fund the move in other ways.

Full-back Djed Spence is the subject of huge interest from a number of Premier League clubs with Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur tussling to get his signature.

Reports suggest that Spurs currently lead the way and have lodged a bid of around £20 million with manager Antonio Conte determined to capture Spence’s services for next season. Nottingham Forest may well be prepared to match similar financial demands as part of a bidding war following their promotion to the Premier League.

Spence has already said he is ‘hopeful’ of making a return to the City Ground but either way, it looks like his future will be away from Teesside.

The money generated from Spence’s sale will account for a huge proportion of Boro’s budget for next season with Chris Wilder set to make sweeping changes to his squad.

Wilder has already been working on deals for next season with the purchase of a striker being a top priority for the club. Boro struggled in front of goal last season with midfielder Matt Crooks ending up as top scorer with 11 goals.

Following a strong season with the Sky Blues, Gyokeres may well be an interesting proposition for Wilder as he looks to build a squad capable of mounting a push for promotion from the Championship.