By Nnamdi Onyeagwara

23rd Aug, 2022 | 6:18pm

View: £60m Chelsea target Anthony Gordon is talented but not worth that price tag

Chelsea are reportedly willing to pay £60m to sign Everton forward Anthony Gordon, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

The 21-year-old is one of the club’s brightest prospects and his performances last season were the shining light in a bleak year for the Toffees.

However, he is now on Chelsea’s radar, and according to Ornstein, the Blues are prepared to break the bank for the England under-21 international.

Despite being an undisputed talent for the future, is he worth the blockbuster fee Chelsea are reportedly prepared to offer for his services?

Is Gordon worth £60m?

Anthony Gordon is a direct winger with a fantastic work ethic and energy, and this has been evident since he became a first-team regular at Goodison Park.

The 21-year-old, who supported the club as a child, won over the Everton faithful with his relentless pressing, his direct dribbling style, and infectious enthusiasm.

Since making his debut for the club in …., he has now made 63 appearances for the club, having scored four goals, providing eight assists, and earning the prestigious number 10 shirt in the process.

However, he has failed to demonstrate enough quality to be worthy of a bank-breaking transfer like the one that will be required to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

When compared to Chelsea’s current wide attacking options, he topped the pressing ranks, made the most tackles and interceptions as well as winning considerably more aerial duels. [FBRef]

However, when you put this into context, playing for a team like Everton who often surrendered possession forcing Gordon to play defensively, these numbers are not a surprise.

In addition to this, when it comes to on-the-ball statistics, players like Raheem Sterling, Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, and even wantaway winger Callum Hudson-Odoi outshine Gordon.

He ranks second from bottom for shots on target per game and shot-creating-actions last season as well as having the lowest completed pass percentage. [FBRef]

Of course, there is an argument to say that his numbers could increase if surrounded by better players, but whether that improvement is worth a £60m fee is something that is yet to be seen.

He is without a doubt a promising player with a huge ceiling but, the fee Everton is demanding is way too much for a player who is yet to command a transfer outlay that size.

In other Chelsea news, young defender Ian Maatsen was sent-off for Burnley during their draw with Blackpool.