Journalist Simon Phillips has now claimed that Chelsea have really stepped up their scouting of one striker ahead of the January transfer window.
He told his Substack that the Blues have begun intensely scouting Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres, with them being in attendance when he found the net earlier this week.
A striker is clearly the priority for the Blues right now as we approach another transfer window under the ownership of Todd Boehly.
Up until now, it has felt as if the number one target has been Victor Osimhen at Napoli.
However, in recent weeks the name of Gyokeres has continued to crop up as a potential option, and this has led to speculation that they could trigger his release clause in January.
He has taken to the Portuguese league swimmingly since his move from Coventry City over the summer, perhaps proving that he has the capabilities to step up again to the level of the Premier League.
Gyokeres scouting stepped up
Phillips has claimed that Chelsea had scouts watching him play on Monday, as they continue to monitor him ahead of the window opening.
He said: “That brings me to Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting, who Chelsea can sign for £86.6m next month simply by triggering his release clause.
“IF Chelsea do go for Gyokeres, they would once again try and structure the release clause in their favour, and that would start another saga like Enzo Fernandez this time last year!
“I am told though that scouting on Gyokeres has stepped up intensely in the last few weeks and they were there to watch his latest goal on Monday night once again. There is a real appeal in Gyokeres, who has bagged 17 goals and 8 assists in 20 games this season.”
The Blues have a number of names that they won’t have ruled out yet, with Ivan Toney another who could be on the move next month.
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