Chelsea are willing to pay up to £60m for Everton striker Anthony Gordon.
Everton’s position this summer has been that the player is not for sale. The £60m fee being prepared is the full value of a potential bid, including add-ons.
Earlier this month, Everton rejected Chelsea’s initial bid of around £40-45m for the striker.
Talks between the two clubs have continued, however, and the London club are now ready to increase their offer.
Gordon’s value to Everton is indisputable
A new contract remains on the table for Gordon, with his current Everton deal expiring in June 2025.
Frank Lampard needs to add forward options to his squad before the end of the transfer window and a potential deal would increase the finances to make this possible.
Tottenham wanted to sign the England Under-21 international in a package with Richarlison for a total of £80m earlier this summer but were unsuccessful. Newcastle also made an approach, but did not submit a formal offer.
Everton manager Frank Lampard says Anthony Gordon is a “valuable asset” for the club but admits they are considering offers for Dele Alli.
Thomas Tuchel’s side have spent £176.5m on new signings this summer, mainly three first-team signings: Marc Cucurella (£63m), Raheem Sterling (£47.5m) and Kalidou Koulibaly (34 million pounds).
Gordon has started all three of Everton’s Premier League games so far this season, playing at times as a false No.9 in Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s absence as the striker recovers from a knee injury.
Gordon has made 52 Premier League appearances so far for Everton, scoring four goals.
It was his free-kick that set up Jarrad Branthwaite to equalize against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in December last year.
Sky Sports’ Graeme Souness said: “£40m for a 21-year-old who has played 51 times in the Premier League? He hasn’t set the heather on fire yet.
“He’s a dribbler and he’s quick enough. For me, he goes to the ground a little too easily, but that’s a lot of money for someone who’s only played 50 games. It doesn’t scream to you when you see him play that he’s going to be a top man.”
Chelsea’s new owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have spent their first summer at the helm at Stamford Bridge carrying out a rapid overhaul in all departments.
Ambitious American bosses have already spent big on Sterling, Koulibaly, Cucurella and Carney Chukwuemeka.
Highly promising young goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina has been signed and will remain on loan at the Chicago Fire, while the Blues continue their pursuit of Inter Milan teenage midfielder Cesare Casadei.
Chelsea are understood to be in talks with Barcelona over a deal for striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, while the quest to prize Wesley Fofana away from Leicester also continues.
“Everton cannot afford to let Gordon go”
Gordon is far from the finished article offensively
Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher:
“It’s a lot of money for a young player just coming on the scene, but I don’t see how Everton could take it. The position they’re in right now, with no attacking players.
“He’s the club’s only big hope. The fans aren’t deaf at Everton. They’ve lost their first two games and they know they’re in for a tough season. They need attacking players to come in so there’s no way. they can let him go.
“Especially because he’s a local boy, he’s the one the fans hang their hat on. I think it should be a lot higher than that if Everton sanction it.”
Where would Gordon fit in at Chelsea?
Gordon has more than two years left on his current deal
Sky Sports’ Karen Carney:
“There have been rumors that Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech will go, so it would be more of a similar replacement for one of them. He’s young, he’s an English talent and that’s the type of signing they’ve gone for.
“They want some young players and some experienced players. In terms of bringing in a recognized centre-forward, he’s not the type of player or answer that’s been talked about.”
Is Gordon the answer to Chelsea’s attacking woes?
Sky Sports football reporter Ben Grounds:
“During an interview with Sky Sports over two years ago, Gordon revealed that he was reading The Chimp Paradox by Dr. Steve Peters, which offers a mind management program that helps elite athletes overcome their fears and operate with control, focus and confidence.
“”It’s teaching me that people can have two voices in their head: the good voice and the bad voice, so it’s about how to balance them and deal with it,” she said.
“Gordon may be struggling with a similar dilemma in making the right decision now for his career. But if Chelsea want to offer £60m to a player reluctant to sign a new deal, Everton must also consider what’s best for them.”
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