Chelsea have reportedly stepped up their pursuit of Everton attacker Anthony Gordon.
The Blues sit 12th in the Premier League table with four points from their opening three games. Over the weekend, the 3-0 loss to Leeds United at Elland Road has accentuated Thomas Tuchel’s need to bring in more signings before August 31’s transfer deadline.
According to talkSPORT, Chelsea have launched a bid worth up to £60million for Everton starlet Anthony Gordon. They have made the offer worth £50m, plus £10m in add-ons, for the youngster. Earlier this month, the Pensioners had a bid of around £40m rejected by Everton, the report adds.
A youth product of the Everton academy, Gordon, 21, broke into the senior side during the 2019/20 campaign and has since gone onto make 52 appearances for the Merseyside outfit. The England Under-21 international has started all three of Everton’s Premier League games so far this season, operating as a false 9 at times in the injury absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Having seen him come up from the Everton youth ranks and become a mainstay in the first team in the last 12-15 months, Chelsea are willing to go all out for Gordon.
Anthony Gordon to Chelsea—Right move by the Blues?
New Chelsea owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have shown ambition in their first summer transfer window at Stamford Bridge, splashing the cash to bring in Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella and Carney Chukwuemeka. They are not done yet and are willing to spend more on new recruits, especially after watching Thomas Tuchel’s side crumble to an away 3-0 defeat to Leeds United.
The interest from the Blues in Anthony Gordon stems from the uncertainties surrounding the long-term futures of Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic. Ziyech is a target for Eredivisie champions Ajax, while there are chances of Pulisic leaving Stamford Bridge on loan for regular game time elsewhere. In addition, the departures of Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner has weakened Tuchel’s options in attack.
Gordon has, thus, emerged as a viable target for Chelsea. The 21-year-old was one of the rare bright sparks in an otherwise torrid last campaign for Everton that saw them escape relegation in the penultimate game under Frank Lampard. He had netted four goals and registered two assists in 35 appearances, whilst playing a huge part in helping his boyhood club maintain top-flight status.
The English forward is yet to become a consistent source of goals and assists for his club, but his energy, work ethic and determination are something Tuchel could tap into at Chelsea. Plus, his versatility to play anywhere across the forward line could hugely appeal to the Chelsea boss.
For a top talent with potential to develop and improve under Tuchel and his coaching staff, Chelsea are perhaps doing the right thing by splashing big money to sign Gordon from Everton.