For the second summer in a row, the world watched and waited as Chelsea hovered over various top strikers, without ever making a move.
Last summer Nicolas Jackson came in as a raw talent to be developed. It was the same this year with Marc Guiu. But the Blues did not pull the trigger on a big name.
That’s not to say it won’t happen at some point however, and the biggest names are still being watched closely. Victor Osimhen ended the window as the name mentioned most, but there were others in the mix too. Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting CP saw his name come up a lot early in the summer, before fading into the background.
He’s a major asset that the Portuguese club will want to shift at some point however, and CaughtOffside have an exclusive report today claiming that Chelsea are still being “informed” about him with potential future bids on their mind.
Top Swede set for another season in Portugal
PSG and Tottenham, our named rivals in this chase, both have serious options up front and don’t seem likely to be keen to spend a major sum on Gyokeres. In part, this lack of suitable interest is why Gyokeres hasn’t gone anywhere this summer.
A lot will also depend on Enzo Maresca’s usage of Christopher Nkunku. If he ends up being a regular option leading the line, alternating with Nicolas Jackson, Gyokeres might be forgotten entirely. But if Jackson struggles to score goals and Nkunku is used deeper (or doesn’t do well up front) the Swede could well be a major target for the future.
Once Sporting decide they aren’t going to get his huge €100m release clause from anyone, the chase will be on once again.