Gordon set for Chelsea transfer after Everton gesture
FT Desk
- 28 Aug 2022 09:18 BST
- 3 min read
Anthony Gordon appeared to bid Everton fans farewell after scoring in their 1-1 draw with Brentford on Saturday.
Gordon has been linked with a £60m/€70m move to Chelsea, with Conor Gallagher or Armando Broja possibly thrown in as makeweights, if only on loan.
Former Chelsea midfielder and current Everton manager Frank Lampard said ahead of the trip to the Gtech Community Stadium that he had drawn a "red line" under any potential Gordon transfer, and he started him in attack.
Gordon repaid his coach's faith, latching onto Conor Coady's through-ball to open the scoring - a strike which was six minutes away from proving the winner before Vitaly Janelt's late equaliser.
Chelsea are prepared to pay up to £60m for Anthony Gordon.
Our value? €23m 💸https://t.co/6jnkmUwR6c— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) August 23, 2022
Gordon approached the away end after the full-time whistle and applauded the travelling supporters, before giving his No.10 jersey to a fan.
The summer transfer window slams shut on Thursday night, but Gordon's Everton teammate James Tarkowski says the winger isn't getting distracted by the Chelsea links.
"He has been different class," he told Sky Sports. "All the paper talk and all the speculation, to be fair he just cracks on. Whatever comes will happen, but I love having him on my team. There is a reason why teams are after him.
"A player at his level should react positively and I thought he did that," reiterated Lampard. "[A transfer] has not happened. Nothing has changed."
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How good is Gordon?
Gordon's goal against Brentford was only his fifth senior strike. Granted he is just 21 but he made his Everton debut in December 2019 and has racked up 64 appearances in all competitions with the Toffees.
However, where he does shine is in his physical attributes. One of the fastest players in the Everton squad, Gordon averaged 22 pressures, two tackles and two blocks per 90 minutes last season, making him one of the most effective counter-pressers in the league.
If he can add goals to his game - as the Brentford performance suggests he might - Chelsea will have a real player on their hands. Whether or not he is worth €70 million remains up for debate.
