Here's how much Coventry City are set to pay for Walsall striker Amadou Bakayoko
Mark Robins' Sky Blues are set to win the race for the 22-year-old ahead of Bristol Rovers
Joseph Chapman
Shane Ireland
Updated 20:23, 6 AUG 2018
Coventry City are set to win the race for Walsall striker Amadou Bakayoko.
The 22-year-old is drawing closer to a move to the Sky Blues as Mark Robins moves to strengthen his options in attack after losing Marc McNulty to Reading earlier this summer.
It's reported by BristolLive that City will pay around £200,000 for Bakayoko, who is also wanted by Bristol Rovers.
Sierra Leone-born Bakayoko has scored 18 times over the course of the last two seasons for Walsall, and has previously had loan spells at non-league Southport, Telford and Worcester City.
Rovers had a bid accepted by the Saddlers for the young striker, but we understand that the Sky Blues have matched that valuation as Robins searches for another forward before Thursday's deadline for transfers.
Having lost last season's top scorer McNulty, City have been searching for an attacker who could help to shoulder the burden of finding the net on a regular basis as the League One campaign gets underway.
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They had been attempting to strike a deal with Conor Chaplin of Portsmouth but having been unable to agree terms with the Fratton Park club, switched their attentions to Bakayoko.
Walsall boss Dean Keates confirmed recently that there was interest in Bakayoko that had led to a bid being accepted.
"We've had an offer for him. We've accepted it and given him permission to go to speak to the team," he said.
"We will know more in the next few days. As it stands, he's our player.
"If he doesn't get what he wants and he can't agree terms with the other club, he will be back with us.
"We've had a few tentative calls regarding him and an offer the other week that was nowhere near what we wanted and we turned it down.
"Ama went about his business, someone's come in for him and it meets our valuation. We will see what happens over the next few days."
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Robins, after the Sky Blues' 2-1 reverse at home to Scunthorpe in the League One curtain raiser over the weekend, admitted he was still on the look out for another centre-forward after capturing Jordy Hiwula of Huddersfield Town on a two-year deal.
"We have brought in Jordy Hiwula and we still need another body, possibly two," Robins confirmed after the defeat.
"I may look to do another centre-half. We will have to wait and see. And I am definitely looking for a forward player, whoever that may be."
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City can still complete loan deals after Thursday's deadline but asked if he would prefer to do permanent deals rather than loans, Robins said: "It doesn't matter.
"If we can get the right one that we can invest some of the money into, fine.
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"If that's one that's been spoken about then all well and good.
"If not then there will be players we can look to do something with, but that will probably be towards the end of the window.
"We don't have to do it by Thursday because we have until the end of the month to do loans."