Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres has played down rumours surrounding a potential £73 million move to Chelsea.
Chelsea have been linked with a move for Sporting CP striker Victor Gyokeres during the January transfer window, and now the former Coventry City star has responded to the speculation in an interview with a Portuguese media outlet this week.
Gyokeres told O Jogo: “I don’t think anything about it. I’m here and we have important games, I’m focused on that. There’s a lot of talk on social media and other places, but I’m not focused on that. I don’t think about anything else. I’m here now and I’m 100 percent focused on this and the club.”
Chelsea have endured a very disappointing first half of the season and currently sit in ninth place in the Premier League table.
Despite spending lavish sums in the transfer market in recent windows, it’s fair to say that the Blues still require more firepower up front, with Nicolas Jackson currently away at Africa Cup of Nations duty with the reigning champions Senegal, Christopher Nkunku nursing a hip injury, and Armando Broja potentially set to be sold to raise vital funds amid interest from Premier League rivals Aston Villa, West Ham, Fulham, and Wolves.
In the buildup to the January transfer window, the Blues were strongly linked with a number of potential new striker signings, including Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen. Although manager Mauricio Pochettino has yet to make any additions to his team, there is still time to wrap up deals before the window slams shut.
They have been mentioned as the front-runners to sign Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres, who has a €100 million release clause inserted in his existing contract until 2028.
The Portuguese giants spent just £17 million to sign Gyokeres from Championship side Coventry City in 2023, and the Swede has been brilliant at the higher level in Portugal, scoring 22 goals from 25 appearances for the current Primeira Liga leaders and producing 30 goal contributions across all competitions, showing Premier League clubs what they might have missed out on.
It will come as no surprise that Gyokeres’ fine form has caught the attention of several clubs across Europe, including Chelsea, who reportedly had a €85 million bid turned down to capture Gyokeres in January.
However, Sporting head coach Ruben Amorim promptly dismissed the idea, claiming that even a massive bid would not force the 25-year-old to leave Lisbon. Now, the player himself has distanced himself from rumours of a move to Chelsea, who may well be priced out of a move for Gyokeres’ at this rate.
