£85m Sporting CP Forward to Join Chelsea – Rating the Rumour | OneFootball

Swedish Striker the Answer to Chelsea’s Goalscoring Woes?

Welcome back to Rating the Rumour, which does exactly what it says on the tin. We’ll be taking the biggest transfer rumours related to Premier League teams and rating the likelihood of the moves coming to fruition.

The final rating will be decided based on the potential fit of the player into the rumoured buying club, the need for that club to sign a player for the position played, whether the player is of the level required by the club, whether the club could afford the rumoured price and whether or not the player is even likely to be available for transfer.

We will not factor in the reliability of the rumour, as it would likely cause mass amounts of crying from outlets, journalists and “journalists” who would have to be denounced as spoofers.

With the ground rules laid out, let’s look at Viktor Gyokeres to Chelsea which was recently reported by Ekrem Konur.

Fit

Gyokeres is an all-round number 9 who can adapt to whatever the needs of a team are. Comfortable as a lone striker, as part of a two man attack or in the middle of a front three. He is both a goalscorer and a creator of chances for others.

Chelsea have mostly played a 4-2-3-1 this season but it remains to be seen what Mauricio Pochettino has in mind when Christopher Nkunku is finally fit to play after his summer move from RB Leipzig. The likelihood is that Chelsea will stay in the same shape, with Nkunku as the 10 and Raheem Sterling taking up one of the wide roles. The other wide role will need filling as well, but the number 9 position is the most important for Pochettino.

If the Argentine wants a Harry Kane type of number 9, then Gyokeres fits the bill stylistically.

Fit Rating – 2/2

Need

Chelsea have scored just 26 goals through their first 16 games of this season, which is an improvement on the 38 they managed last season, but not the type of tally that is going to lead to a top four challenge, particularly when their defence has been well below average as well.

Nicolas Jackson is their highest scorer in the Premier League with six goals, three of which came against nine man Spurs. The Senegalese is a talented player but he’s not a true number 9. He can’t be relied on to score the goals required, but he could potentially be repurposed into playing in a wide role to utilise his pace and power.

Need Rating – 2/2

Level

As yet, Gyokeres has no Premier League experience despite spending six years playing in England. Brighton brought him to the Premier League in 2017 but he managed only eight appearances in the domestic cups before being sold to Coventry after loans with St. Pauli in Germany, Swansea City and then the Sky Blues.

It was at Coventry, under Mark Robins, that Gyokeres really blossomed and started to get attention from top flight clubs. He put together two exceptional seasons for Coventry, tallying 40 goals and 17 assists, and earned a summer move to Sporting CP where he has continued to thrive.

Under Ruben Amorim, the Swede has 15 goals and 7 assists already this season and has drawn admiring eyes from some of Europe’s top clubs.

There’s no way to be certain that Gyokeres would succeed in the Premier League, but he has improved year on year for the last four seasons and has the right size and skillset to be effective in England’s top division.

Level Rating – 1/2

Photo: IMAGO

Affordability

Sporting CP paid £17mil plus add-ons for the Swedish hitman in the summer, and included a significant sell-on clause in his contract. His buyout clause has been set at around £85mil and after just six months it seems unlikely that they would consider selling him for anything less.

Amorim’s side currently sit top of the Primeira Liga and won’t want to lose their primary goalscorer as they chase a second title under his watch.

It’s a high price for a player who’s relatively unproven at the highest level, but this is Todd Boehly’s Chelsea so never rule anything out.

Affordability Rating – 1/2

For Sale?

Because there’s a buyout clause, he is available. It’s that simple. But it will almost certainly take paying that buyout clause for Sporting to be willing to do business.

Availability Rating – 1/2

Final Rating

Overall, this rumour rates out at a 7/10. It does seem a little early for Gyokeres to be stepping up to a team like Chelsea given that he was playing in the Championship last season, but he is exactly the profile of striker they should be looking at.