Chelsea: Pochettino issues a big blow to West Ham about their £40m target
By Kian Long
Mauricio Pochettino is at the helm for Chelsea now, which is great news for their younger players. The Argentine boss has a proven track record of getting the best out of the young players he has worked with. This is due to his excellent man-management and time spent getting to understand the needs of every individual player.
However, this summer is mostly about selling players at Stamford Bridge. Given their previous two transfer windows which involved ridiculous overspending from Todd Boehly, Pochettino has inherited a mess which must be fixed by departures.
Luckily, though, his job is made easier by many top clubs seeking talent which Chelsea possess. The latest player to be linked with a move away is Conor Gallagher. We reported yesterday that West Ham were confident in their £40m bid for Gallagher.
Mauricio Pochettino wants Conor Gallagher in his Chelsea plans
According to a press conference, relayed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Chelsea boss Pochettino is happy with Gallagher. Further, he has claimed that the young midfielder is part of his plans going forward.
Pochettino: “Gallagher is in our plans. In football things happen we can't manage but I am happy with him”. 🔵 #CFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 26, 2023
New midfielders? “At least we need one more. We are working on that. Depends what happens in the next few weeks. The club is working on that”. pic.twitter.com/rGJIKiGUKJ
While this doesn’t mean that he can’t have his head turned, it is certainly a big blow for West Ham. While Chelsea need to balance the books, they are not at the dire stage of needing to accept any offer which comes in for their players. A significant number of departures have already occurred at Stamford Bridge, so unless West Ham up their bidding, Gallagher won’t be the next to follow suit.
Who do you think West Ham will sign to replace Declan Rice?