Chelsea confident of signing the 'next Gyokeres'

Tom Weber

Updated: 11 Jan 2025 13:24 CST
3 min read

Chelsea are 'backing themselves' to sign Sporting CP wonderkid Conrad Harder, according to a report.

The 19-year-old striker is quickly gaining a reputation as the heir apparent to Sporting sensation Viktor Gyokeres, who is all but guaranteed to depart the club in the summer.

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Harder was signed as a future replacement for the Swede last year, joining in a sizeable €19 million deal from Nordsjaelland. Sporting already knew in 2024 that it would be incredibly difficult to keep hold of Gyokeres and prepared themselves in advance for his inevitable departure.

However, Harder has impressed so much in limited minutes, notching nine goals and six assists in 1300 minutes, that there is a chance that suitors could shift their attention more onto him than Gyokeres. This is simply down to his age, with the Dane being seven years Gyokeres' junior.

Even elite Premier League sides need to be mindful of the potential resale value of acquisitions these days and they are increasingly targeting younger and younger players, with Gyokeres already considered on the 'older' end of the spectrum as far as some clubs are concerned.

Chelsea to target Harder

Indeed, Chelsea firmly fall into that category, with the Blues only rarely signing players over the age of 25 in recent windows. Unsurprisingly, then, they have been taking a keen interest in the development of Harder at Sporting.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Chelsea are 'backing themselves' to eventually snap up the Dane due to having been hot on his trail longer than most.

“They do like Conrad Harder an awful lot," he told The Chelsea Chronicle. "He’s a fascinating player, obviously signed by Sporting as a Viktor Gyokeres replacement. He’s a huge talent, he really is, and we’ve seen Chelsea do spot these players.

"[For example] Samu [Aghehowa], who they were looking at, way before everyone else. Chelsea are backing themselves here, so keep an eye on Harder. He’s a huge, huge talent, and he fits in with what Chelsea want to do.”