Chelsea’s attempt to secure Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres with a £73m offer has been rejected, according to a report on Daily Mail.
Despite their ongoing struggles in front of goal this season, with only 35 goals in 21 league games, making them the third-lowest scorers in the top half of the Premier League, Mauricio Pochettino’s men face disappointment in their pursuit.
Despite links to other strikers like Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen, Chelsea turned their attention to Gyokeres, only to have their €85m bid turned down by Sporting, according to Portuguese outlet Record.
The report indicates that Gyokeres has a release clause of €100m, and Chelsea’s offer falls significantly short of this valuation.
Complicating matters further, Gyokeres is reportedly committed to staying at Sporting until the summer, having only joined the Portuguese giants last year.
The 25-year-old Swede made the move to Sporting in July after an impressive stint at Championship side Coventry the previous season, where he scored 21 league goals, leading them to the play-off final (which they lost on penalties to Luton).
In the current campaign, Gyokeres has continued his prolific form, notching 11 goals and seven assists in 16 top-flight appearances, bringing his total to 20 goals across all competitions in 2023-24.
With their initial bid rebuffed and Gyokeres intent on staying put, Chelsea may need to explore alternative options to address their goal-scoring challenges in the second half of the season. Chelsea’s summer signing, Nicolas Jackson, has struggled to make an impact, currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal.
Additionally, Christopher Nkunku’s limited league starts due to multiple injuries have left Chelsea with a shortage of options up front.
