Multiple Premier League clubs want Chelsea’s England International
By Phil Taylor
All clubs are on high alert to improve their side, and the Premier League is a hotbed for speculation. Clubs that have done well and clubs that have not done so well are all on the lookout for players who could improve their squads.
Two clubs that are looking at a midfield alternative are Tottenham Hotspur, who missed out on Europe, Newcastle United, who made the Champions League for the first time since Sir Bobby Robson was in charge, and then surprise package from last season, Brighton & Hove Albion; who picked up a European place.
The three clubs are looking to do battle for one player.
Who is the player in question?
It is Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher. Chelsea is in a state of transition and has an abundance of players on their books. Owner Todd Boehly is set on trying to create a side with whoever tickles his fancy and hopes his manager says yes.
Conor Gallagher, who has been with Chelsea since 2008, may not fit the vision that Boehly has for the club. However, new manager Mauricio Pochettino will be the one to have a say as to whether he keeps the England international or sells him to recoup some money that was so profligately over the past two windows.
Would it be the right thing for Conor Gallagher to leave Stamford Bridge?
Gallagher has had to bide his time this season with Chelsea after a disastrous season for the club as a whole. He has started 18 league games but also made 17 sub appearances. He has struggled, but at just 23 and two standout seasons out on loan at West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace, he will not be short of suitors.
However, Chelsea must bare in mind that Mason Mount has one year left on his contract, and they have an aging midfield in Matteo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante. It is still of the belief to many that Gallagher can make the grade at Stamford Bridge.
Where would he be best suited?
However, if it is their intention to sell, the question then remains where would he best spend his time? Geographically, Spurs do have the advantage, with Gallagher residing in Surrey and playing in London for most of his career (apart from stints with West Brom and Swansea City).
However, the lure of European football could well tempt him to the North East with Newcastle and being part of a side very much on the up, unlike Spurs.
Yet there is something about the style of play at Brighton under Roberto De Zerbi that could be the right fit for Gallagher.
He likes to make a tackle and block the ball from making any dangerous movement. He can dribble the ball well, and with Brighton losing Alexis MacAllister and likely losing Moises Caicedo, then Brighton would make a great home for Gallagher, who will clearly have ambitions of making Gareth Southgate’s squad, hopefully travelling to Germany in 2024.