Todd Boehly will have to reach deep into his pockets if he hopes to sign Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres for Chelsea in January. The Swedish international has a £86.6million release clause tied into his contract that can be triggered by potential suitors.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Sporting Lisbon are not keen on selling their star player while Gyokeres is planning on staying at the Jose Alvalade Stadium until at least the end of the season. Therefore, the only way to get a deal over the line next month is by matching his release clause.
Arsenal and Chelsea are the frontrunners to snap up the former Coventry City star although both are treading thin ice with FFP after a summer of heavy spending. The Blues may want to act quickly though to steal a march on other interested parties.
Given their woeful start to the 2023/2024 campaign, it is unlikely the 25-year-old will pick Chelsea ahead of the other top European clubs that are likely to come in for him in the summer so the opportunity to strike a deal early would be an appealing proposition.
Chelsea are in desperate need of a striker with £32m signing Nicolas Jackson getting off to a laboured in West London. Gyokeres has scored 10 goals and laid on five assists in 13 Liga Portugal appearances while he has also provided three more goals and an assist in the Europa League.
During his time in England playing for Championship side Coventry City, Gyokeres bagged 40 goals in 97 games across all competitions before securing a £20.8m move to Portugal in the summer.
But the Swedish goal-machine is already being linked with an early exit and his manager Ruben Amorim admits the reports are proving to be an unwanted distraction.
“I think he’s improved the team, the fans like him a lot. We have to look at the other side: today there’s talk that Arsenal and Chelsea are interested in him. He was in England, right next to them, in the Championship,” Amorim said.
“(Interest from other clubs) It affects all players, I can feel it sometimes in (Goncalo) Inacio, I can feel it in other players and Viktor is no exception.”
