Is Everton's Gordon a better bet for Chelsea than Pulisic?

Antony Gordon is a talented winger, with a promising future, who wants to fulfil his potential at Stamford Bridge.

Operating across the forward line, Gordon would bring pace, trickery and a prodigious work-rate which he displayed regularly to help keep Everton afloat last season.

However, the valuation of a £50m move for a player who has only got four goals and eight assists in 63 Everton appearances, has been debated, especially when compared with who he would presumably be supplanting.

Christian Pulisic is only two years older but cost a similar amount to the figures touted for Gordon when he signed in 2019.

He had already made 90 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund when Chelsea snapped him up as a raw 20-year-old.

Granted, injury problems have at times hindered his progress and he has often flattered to deceive. Not since his first season has he been trusted to start more than five consecutive Premier League games.

Yet, drilling into the data from last season, Pulisic offers a far greater threat, averaging 0.4 goals per 90 minutes as opposed to 0.14 for Gordon.

Naturally, he was playing for a better team but the numbers are stark when it comes to finishing as well, scoring one in five of his shots compared to Gordon’s one in 14.

Chelsea have had an indifferent opening to the season with Pulisic yet to start for Thomas Tuchel’s side, although he has come on in all three games.

Clearly, he’s not a favourite, hence the interest in Gordon.  

Clubs don’t tend to spend such figures without expecting an immediate impact in the first team so Tuchel must have lofty ambitions for the England Under-21 winger.

Penny for the thoughts of Pulisic.