Anthony Gordon has emerged as the shining light in a struggling Everton side — but he could soon be heading to Chelsea.

Reports claim the Blues had a £40million bid turned down for the 21-year-old winger over the weekend, with the Londoners supposedly set to test the Toffees’ resolve even further.

As Frank Lampard’s struggling side prepare to host Nottingham Forest this Saturday, we put their in-demand academy graduate under the microscope.

Great expectations

Everton have a proud history of producing homegrown talent with youngsters often given the chance to impress on the blue half of Merseyside.

Handed his Premier League debut by then Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti in January 2020, the Kirkdale-born youngster impressed the wily Italian and would go on to make 10 further top-flight appearances in 2019-20.

However, squad strengthening the following summer saw Gordon slip down the pecking order and a loan move to Championship outfit Preston was arranged in January 2021. 

It is fair to say that switch did not go to plan, however, with a change of manager at Deepdale eventually seeing him drop out of the starting fold.

Reflecting on that time, Gordon said last year: "I would recommend going out on loan to any young player. 

"While that loan didn't go how I planned it and it wasn't really a successful loan, the things I learnt as a person and the situations I found myself in, I just found myself maturing day-by-day."

Kicking on

Gordon seems to thrive in the face of adversity — and it was during a troubling campaign for the Toffees last term where he truly kick-started his career.

Disastrous injuries to both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison prompted Rafael Benitez to turn to Gordon as an impact substitute last September. By November, he was a regular starter.

Even after Benitez was replaced by Frank Lampard, he remained the leading hope of a team so often short of inspiration, with blistering pace and an unrivalled desire to drag his side to Premier League safety.

Match-winning performances against Leeds and Manchester United were his standout moments — with Lampard glowing in his praise for Gordon following his winner against the Red Devils.

Lampard said: "He’s a top player with a great attitude and great hunger. He loves the club and loves coming into work every day.

"He wants to score goals and make assists and he’s on himself if he doesn’t, saying he wants more. That’s brilliant to see.

"It’s typical of the great batch of young players we have in this country at the moment. Just like Mason Mount, who I’ve worked with — they have this excellent attitude and Anthony is one of those."

Something to prove

While Gordon has unquestionably caught the eye in the last 12 months, many have queried whether his achievements have yet merited such a lofty valuation.

Chelsea will likely have to stump up closer to £50m to make a deal work for the England Under-21s international — potentially exceeding the £47.5m the Blues paid for Raheem Sterling.

Of course, talented 21-year-olds hold significant re-sell value and should theoretically improve further with time, which ties in with the Londoners’ long-standing transfer policy. 

Yet the question remains whether adding Gordon into Thomas Tuchel’s squad right now improves what the German already has at his disposal.

Former Liverpool captain Graeme Souness is far from convinced, telling Sky Sports: "£40m for a 21-year-old who has played 51 times in the Premier League? He's not set the heather on fire yet.

"He's a dribbler and he's quick enough. For me, he goes to ground a bit too easily but that's a lot of money for someone who's only played 50 games."

Numbers game

If Gordon did make the move to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea would be signing a youngster who is not afraid of hard work.

Last term, the scouser’s 2.13 tackles per 90 minutes ranked him fourth among wingers in the Premier League, while he was also inside the league’s top 10 for interceptions (0.87 per 90).

Going forward, his numbers are perhaps less impressive — though it must be remembered he was plying his trade in a struggling side.

As well as underwhelming goal (four) and assist (two) tallies, Gordon’s average of 49 touches per outing is an indication of a youngster who still floats in and out of games.

What he does have, though, is an electric turn of foot and an impressive 4.69 attempted crosses per 90 minutes last term is a tally that would surely only rise in a Blues team brimming with star quality.

Ultimately, though Everton’s No10 is still raw, it is easy to see the skill sets that make him an attractive proposition.

Much to consider

Having already splashed the cash on Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Carney Chukwuemeka and Marc Cucurella, Chelsea’s new owners are unlikely to be deterred by Everton’s steep asking price.

If the Blues really want to make a move happen, expect things to progress quickly — though both clubs would do well to assess the bigger picture.

The troubled Toffees already look worryingly short this term due to a mixture of injuries and departures, so having a replacement lined up would be essential.

On the other hand, Gordon is not the established No9 that Chelsea appear to be crying out for currently and it may be that his fee would be better spent addressing that issue. 

Tuchel has proven himself to be one of the world’s best coaches when it comes to getting the most out of players, especially when they are as versatile and willing as the Everton starlet.

Yet given the significant risk of becoming another body on the bench, perhaps Gordon should remain a hometown hero for a little longer.