Chelsea lodge even bigger bid for Everton starlet

Anthony Gordon remains an unfinished product. At just 21, the speedy winger has certainly caught the eye further afield than Everton as his vision for running onto a ball behind the backline and his stellar workrate while on the pitch are both valued commodities. Born and raised a Toffee, he’s been an Academy success story as a player that broke into the first team squad during Carlo Ancelotti’s reign, went out on a disappointing loan spell to Preston North End, returned and worked his way into becoming a key cog during Rafa Benitez’s ill-fated cameo, and then finally established himself under Frank Lampard as the new manager tapped into the club’s passion to stay up last season.

It was always going to be difficult to hold on to such a player when one of the top six sides came knocking with a large offer to make him a part of their deep squads - he’s certainly not ready to become an immediate starter, and his goals and assists output is not quite there either, but it looks like there will be clubs ready to offer exorbitant sums to gamble on potential.

Tottenham Hotspur were the first club this summer to make an offer for the player, with rumours of a combined bid for Richarlison and the youngster of about £80m, before it was the Brazilian #9 who left the club. Newcastle United were also rumoured to have asked about Gordon but were also denied by the Blues.

Then in the last week or so Chelsea have come on strong for Gordon, making a first bid and getting turned down, then improving their offer in a second bid and also getting spurned. Now it looks like the Stamford Bridge are determined to get their man and have returned with a third bid.

Per reports from multiple media sources, Chelsea are now offering £50m guaranteed plus up to £10m in add-ons if he hits on all his targets, a big increase from their previously rejected bids in the £40-45m range.

Tottenham continue to be interested in the player but right now are not willing to budge from their £35 overall evaluation of the England Under-21 international [Ben Jacobs]. If Everton are hoping Spurs can enter a bidding war for Gordon then they don’t have to worry as Chelsea are showing quite how badly they want the Evertonians.

Everton’s stance throughout the summer transfer window is that they don’t want to sell Gordon, but at some point every player has a price and the Toffees with all their Premier League Profit & Sustainability issues will surely see a number that solves many of the club’s woes both on and off the pitch.

The Toffees have struggled to start the season having not effectively replaced Richarlison’s goals in the side and are now shorn of top striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin through injury too. Everton’s flat start to the season is going to be weighing heavily on the minds of the Everton Board as Kevin Thelwell still desperately needs funds to go out and buy some creative and attacking forces as they cannot risk getting sucked into a relegation battle this early in the season with the window still open.

There is little time to sit on their hands as we remain but a week away from the close of the transfer window and if there is any plan to bring in reinforcements and stave off a miserable battling season, then it must be implemented now while there is still an opportunity or two to do so.