Viktor Gyokeres: Chelsea transfer hopes crushed as serious striker target’s preferred next step revealed
Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres is a target for Chelsea
Viktor Gyokeres is likely to put any Premier League interest on hold as he waits to see if he can earn a big move on the continent, sources have told TEAMtalk.
Chelsea have been monitoring his progress at Sporting Lisbon this season, where he has 10 goals and five assists from 13 matches in the league, and 17 goals and eight assists from 20 games in all competitions.
The rate of return has forced Chelsea to seriously put him forward as a candidate for the winter market, in case they do decide to buy a new forward, yet sources are indicating they might struggle to entice him at this moment.
He moved to Portugal from Coventry City last summer and is understood to have a staggering £86million release clause written into his contract.
That is an obvious barrier to negotiate yet the other factor that will trouble them is that Swedish front man Gyokeres has his sights set on becoming a renowned goalscorer at a top Champions League club within the next couple of years.
With that in mind, there is a feeling among some insiders that he will look closely at Italy, Germany and Spain whenever he decides to move on from Sporting.
And he will assess serious interest across the board before jumping into any big English offer.
Gyokeres settled at Sporting
As well as Chelsea, Gyokeres has been linked with Arsenal in recent days, but has confirmed his intention to stay in Lisbon.
Asked about the speculation by Record, Gyokeres replied: “I think it’s a bit like when Sporting came in to sign me… I’m very happy here and I don’t care about any interested parties at the moment.
“I’m enjoying every day here and not thinking about what’s going on around me. Yes, there’s talk of big clubs, but for now it’s just news. That’s all.”
And pressed on if he could promise Sporting fans he would be staying, he confirmed: “Yes. This is where I want to stay.”
Sporting signed Gyokeres to a contract until 2028 when taking him away from the Championship in the summer.
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