Chelsea deny reports they have bid £73m for Sporting star

Chelsea have moved to deny reports that they have lodged a £73m bid for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, according to the Standard. 

Reports in Portugal had claimed the Blues had made a big money bid to sign the Sweden international this month having previously been linked with a move for the former Coventry City frontman. 

However, the west London side have since ruled out a January raid for Gyokeres even with the Blues keen on signing a new striker. 

The 25-year-old has scored 11 goals and provided an additional eight assists for Sporting CP this season and has returned a better WhoScored rating (7.82) than any other player in Liga Portugal. 

Chelsea have been linked with a host of frontman this month, with Victor Osimhen, Ivan Toney and Benjamin Sesko of Napoli, Brentford and RB Leipzig, respectively, among those on the club's radar. 

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino currently has just Armando Broja to call upon up front as a result of injury to Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson's participation at the Africa Cup of Nations.