Chelsea have been making more waves during the summer transfer window, signing nine players, and it looks as though more will be arriving.
Enzo Maresca will be tasked with securing Champions League football this term. With the squad at his disposal, it would be a failure should he not achieve this.
Despite the plethora of talent joining the Stamford Bridge side, one area of the team which has yet to be bolstered is the centre-forward slot.
There are, of course, plenty of targets being lined up for a potential move to west London. One name which doesn’t seem to be going away is that of Victor Osimhen.
Chelsea continue to chase Victor Osimhen
According to Football Insider, Chelsea are continuing to monitor the Napoli striker between now and the end of the transfer window.
The striker has a release clause which currently stands at £93.5m, which could be problematic for the club, especially with regard to PSR and FFP regulations.
The Nigeria international is also attracting interest from elsewhere, as he is keen on leaving the Serie A side this summer for pastures new.
Maresca could fund this signing by moving on Romelu Lukaku before the end of the month, who appears keen on reuniting with Antonio Conte, who is now in charge of Napoli.
However, could the manager perhaps make a move for another striker instead of Osimhen, as there is a player currently shining for Sporting CP who is attracting plenty of interest of late…?
Chelsea could make a move for Viktor Gyokeres
Swedish hitman Viktor Gyokeres has been linked with a move to England over the previous few months, with Chelsea and Arsenal showing plenty of interest in the player.
Any potential move would cost the Blues €100m (£86m), which is his release clause at the Portuguese club, meaning he wouldn’t be that much cheaper than Osimhen.
Could he be a better option than the Nigerian? Considering how effective he was in front of goal for Sporting last season after moving there from Coventry City, that would appear to be the case.
Viktor Gyokeres season in numbers
The 26-year-old swapped Coventry for Lisbon in the summer of 2023 following a campaign which saw him find the back of the net 22 times as the club came close to sealing a return to the Premier League after two decades away.
Although Sporting was perhaps a surprising choice, the move has allowed the player to showcase his talents in front of goal, as he scored an impressive 43 goals in 50 matches for the club as they claimed a second league title under Ruben Amorim.
| Viktor Gyokeres’ stats for Sporting CP during 2023/24 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stat | Liga Portugal | Europa League |
| Goals | 29 | 5 |
| Assists | 10 | 2 |
| Shots on target per game | 1.8 | 1.1 |
| Goal frequency (minutes) | 101 | 124 |
| Goal conversion percentage | 25% | 29% |
| Via Sofascore | ||
Unsurprisingly, the Swede ranked first among his teammates when it came to goals and assists (39) in the top flight last term, while also ranking first for shots on target per game (1.8), second for scoring frequency (a goal every 101 minutes) and first for average Sofascore rating (7.92).
These statistics have clearly attracted interest from the Premier League, with Chelsea believing that he could be the player to return them to the top four in the league.
If the Blues get their way, Gyokeres could shine alongside another summer arrival, as they are closing in on a move to sign João Félix from Atlético Madrid.
Chelsea close to signing João Félix
Fabrizio Romano took to X to provide a fresh update concerning Maresca’s interest in the Portuguese gem, saying: “Understand Chelsea and Atlético are getting closer to final agreement for João Félix and Conor Gallagher!
“Positive round of talks today, João says yes to contract terms. Rumours on €60m fixed fee for Félix are not true.
“All parties working to get it done this weekend.”
If all goes to plan, it looks as though the tenth summer signing could be arriving in the next couple of days. If Maresca gets his way, Gyokeres could yet be his eleventh.
Viktor Gyokeres could shine alongside João Félix
Felix enjoyed a moderately successful spell on loan at Barcelona last term, registering 16 goal contributions – ten goals and six assists – across 44 games in all competitions, but it wasn’t enough to lead the club to a major trophy.
When compared to his positional peers in La Liga last season, Felix ranked in the top 4% for touches in the opposition penalty area (6.08) and in the top 13% for carries into the final third per 90 (3.1).
He regularly bursts into dangerous areas, which could see him link up well with whoever is in front of him for Chelsea this season.
Felix also created six big chances for the Catalan side in the Spanish top flight last term, along with averaging 0.6 key passes per game. If he was deployed in his favoured No 10 role, perhaps these numbers would have been slightly higher.
Nevertheless, his talents could allow Gyokeres the chance to shine, especially with the sheer volume of opportunities Felix is capable of presenting to him.
When compared to his own peers playing at a similar level, Gyokeres ranked in the top 1% for successful take-ons, touches in the opposition box and progressive carries per 90, while even ranking in the top 3% for shot-creating actions and in the top 2% for assists per 90.
This suggests that the Swedish striker loves creating opportunities for others to score, which could prove vital should he join the club, allowing him to thrive in front of the Portuguese talent.
Much will depend on how many players Maresca can get off the books between now and the end of the month in order to fund moves for both Felix and Gyokeres, but the pair would surely be excellent in the Premier League.
If the duo can connect, Chelsea could be a team to watch throughout the 2024/25 campaign.
