Chelsea have been given further hope of signing Anthony Gordon after the winger told Everton he wants to leave.
The Merseyside club rejected a £45 million bid for the 21-year-old last week and have insisted he is not for sale while manager Frank Lampard is keen to keep him.
But Chelsea are expected to return with a second offer for Gordon and the England Under-21 international has made it clear he hopes to go to Stamford Bridge.
Gordon attracted interest from Tottenham and Newcastle earlier in the transfer window but Everton had hoped that selling Richarlison to Spurs meant they would be able to keep their other prized assets.
Lampard said on Friday that he could not guarantee Gordon would stay and that any decision would be made on “a football level and a club business level.” But selling him would help fund their buying as they look for a striker and a midfielder.
Chelsea have invested heavily in young talent this summer, bringing in midfielders Carney Chukwuemeka and Cesare Casadei and goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina.
Gordon has been targeted as manager Thomas Tuchel seeks to rebuild his squad, with wingers Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi all possible departures before the end of the transfer window.
Chelsea have already spent over £170 million this transfer window and, with Gordon, Wesley Fofana, Frenkie de Jong and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all wanted, that sum could rise considerably.
Gordon, who has scored four goals in 63 games for his hometown club, would get a substantial pay rise if he joined Chelsea. His current five-year deal was signed in 2020, before he was a first-team regular at Goodison Park, though Everton were keen to give him an improved contract.
Everton are interested in Chelsea striker Armando Broja, which could form part of any negotiations.
