Conor Gallagher

[EastUpperDK82]

Supporters love homegrown players coming through into the first team, hailing them as 'one of their own' and the connection between club and fans.

However, Premier League club accountants also relish academy graduates - with a growing trend of selling them to generate 'pure profit' and help navigate the strict financial rules which have bitten hard this season.

Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester have all been hit with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) breaches while clubs such as Chelsea, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Wolves have posted significant losses in their most recent accounts.

After Manchester City academy graduate Cole Palmer left for Chelsea in a surprise £42.5m deal last summer, could we see a flurry of similar transfers this summer?

Conor Gallagher, 24, Chelsea midfielder.

Contract situation: One year left at the end of the season

Estimated market value: £68m
Linked with: Tottenham

BBC Sport football news reporter Alex Howell:
Before Cole Palmer took centre stage, it could have been argued that Conor Gallagher was Chelsea’s player of the season.
Gallagher has taken on the job of stand-in captain and has been repeatedly praised by manager Mauricio Pochettino in a challenging season.

However, that has not stopped speculation about the academy graduate's future.

At the end of the season Gallagher will be into the last 12 months of his contract. This is something the new ownership group has been trying to avoid with its biggest stars so they are able to keep the value of their assets.
Gallagher's performances have impressed senior members of the club, especially considering the investment that has been made in his position with the £106m signing of Enzo Fernandez and the deal worth £115m for Moises Caicedo.

Conversations between the club and Gallagher's agent have been ongoing and Gallagher is happy at the club, but it is understood that if a bid at the right price was to come in, Chelsea would be open to selling.

With the large outlay the club has put into the playing squad and the prospect of any European football looking unlikely, selling Gallagher would see the Blues make 'pure profit' on the deal if he were to leave the club after coming through their youth system.

 

[McFlash]

Yeah, I'm not convinced another 8 is a priority at the moment, we need a 6 first and foremost imo.
We've got Bergvall coming in and I'm still not sure that Biss isn't more suited to that role because he's not great defensively as a 6.

We've got work to still do throughout the squad but for me, it's a DM and some wide creativity that we need most.
Then, decent competition for Maddison and a striker so that we don't have to see Son up top.
Full back cover too.
Then I'd think about adding another 8.

Christ, we're still a long way off yet, when you think about it.

 

[funkycoldmedina]

Looks like he's going to be a fan favourite right from the off. God speed Conor

 

[Ghost Hardware]

Yeah, I'm not convinced another 8 is a priority at the moment, we need a 6 first and foremost imo.
We've got Bergvall coming in and I'm still not sure that Biss isn't more suited to that role because he's not great defensively as a 6.

We've got work to still do throughout the squad but for me, it's a DM and some wide creativity that we need most.
Then, decent competition for Maddison and a striker so that we don't have to see Son up top.
Full back cover too.
Then I'd think about adding another 8.

Christ, we're still a long way off yet, when you think about it.

Agree. If we really want another 8 this window the only way it makes sense to me is if we bring in someone who’s primary position is elsewhere and his secondary role is as an 8.

For example. If Ange thinks Gallagher can be the DM we need then great, i don’t see it but he is obviously a big fan and that would allow him to be our new 6 and play as an 8 when needed. But that is the only way I would understand the move given everything else that need’s doing this window and that is also putting aside my own personal feelings on the player.

 

[Wadec]

Very much agree with the general feeling to this news. The only way it would make any sense for me is if Ange wanted to play Bentancur at 6 long term and have Sarr and Gallagher as box to box options.

Don't think that's likely the case though as both Bissouma and PEH have played 6 in front of Bentancur. Really don't get this, surely we need a 6 or a 10 ahead of Gallagher.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Tbh this I’m surprised how little Bentancur got injured after he came back from his ACL. Again it’s fairly regular to pick up constant muscle strains as the body readjust to the rigours of playing. The fact the only injury he picked up was from a rather nasty tackle by Cash is again very encouraging. I can’t think of one play who came back from an ACL mid season that didn’t have a stop start readjustment. Imo all the signs re Bentancur are incredibly encouraging.

I think one also need to take into consideration Kulu as well tbh. I’m not at all convinced by him as a 10 and even less convinced by him as a winger in this system. At his best back in Italy he played as a mezzala so I think he could very realistically play as the right centre mid well with some work.

Out of all the three positions in our midfield CM is by far our best stocked and that’s not even thinking about Skipp who we may need to retain due to his club trained status. The only way bringing in another 8 makes sense to me is if we bring in a 6 that can also play 8 or sell one of Bentancur or Sarr. Fact is I think Biss could also play as a slight more defensive oriented 8 given his close control.

Personally I just don’t see how we could fit in another dedicated 8 into the squad especially if we bring in another 10 and 6. Essentially that would make 8 players for 3 positions and that’s forgetting about Kulu and Skipp plus players from the youth team such as Donley, Devine and Hall.

Just to ask as you say we need an 8, who would you start as a 6 next season or understudy Maddison if we sell Gio?

I think we need a new 6

I think we need a better understudy for Maddison

And i think we need an 8

I'm not saying we'll do all that but for me, if we want to challenge for top four, we need a considerably better selection of midfielders

 

[EQP]

A really good 6 and a 10 to challenge Maddison, will go a long way in unlocking and helping our current and incoming 8's perform better in this system.

Would prefer if we focused our attentions on those 2 positions first and then if there's an obvious need, go for another 8 - though we'll have Bergvall, so it could get crowded really quickly.

 

[Mr Pink]

Cant believe we'd spend so much of our budget on Gallagher.

Id much prefer we'd target a proper 6 or at least someone who appears to exhibit the qualities needed for that position.

Id much prefer the young lad at Leeds, Archie Gray.

 

[teddy1066]

Palhinha is the man for 6 a tall destroyer who can can pass

 

[gavspur]

Palhinha is the man for 6 a tall destroyer who can can pass

And shoot, and win the ball in the air. How much would he cost though? And would he come?

 

[Mr Pink]

Palhinha is the man for 6 a tall destroyer who can can pass

He'd be a great choice.

 

[felmani26]

Cant believe we'd spend so much of our budget on Gallagher.

Id much prefer we'd targret a proper 6 or at least someone who appears to exhibit the qualities needed for that position.

Id much prefer the young lad at Leeds, Archie Gray.

Gray needs to be one of our priority signings this summer there really should be no question about it.

 

[brasil_spur]

Yeah, I'm not convinced another 8 is a priority at the moment, we need a 6 first and foremost imo.
We've got Bergvall coming in and I'm still not sure that Biss isn't more suited to that role because he's not great defensively as a 6.

We've got work to still do throughout the squad but for me, it's a DM and some wide creativity that we need most.
Then, decent competition for Maddison and a striker so that we don't have to see Son up top.
Full back cover too.
Then I'd think about adding another 8.

Christ, we're still a long way off yet, when you think about it.

This.

We need a first team DM (6) and then Bissouma can rotate and provide competition.
We also need a new AM (10) that can come into the first team when Maddison is having a poor patch and provide rotation and cover for that spot.

We have Sarr, Bentancur and Bergvall coming in for 8, which should be fine for next season.

Ideally this is the model we want across the team - two first team players and one young player for each position, where possible.

 

[he is you know!]

Gray needs to be one of our priority signings this summer there really should be no question about it.

Agreed, but it's only feasible if Leeds don't go up.

 

[talkshowhost86]

I think the real unknown when discussing Gallagher is what the values of similar players might be, and whether they are available.

I agree with those saying we shouldn't blow our entire budget on Gallagher, but that sort of depends on what our budget is generally.

Either way, in an ideal world I'd like to see us getting a 6, 8 and 10.

But then I also want a RB, LB, Wide player and striker....so maybe I'm just a greedy bastard.

 

[Pallyali]

Agreed, but it's only feasible if Leeds don't go up.

Or a bigger team want to pay more for him and pay him higher salary than us.

 

[rabbikeane]

Not sure Ange is of the same opinion as supporters about what we need in midfield and how he want the midfield to be organized. We know he wanted Gallagher last summer, and at our best the deepest midfielder was Bissouma - for his press resistance and ability on the ball. Key to our midfield was Sarr as box to box for his work rate and mobility, issue being most of all what do we do when Sarr isn't available, hence perhaps the need for Gallagher. Has how the season progressed changed his mind about how he want his midfield to be, or is it supporters making their own mind and constructing an idea of their own? A physical pure DM with limited ability on the ball doesn't strike me as what Ange looks for.

With the exception of Son being a bit of a mismatch to "Ange's style of football", but likely involved due to his quality and status. You'd think Ange would look more to a team like this coming season:

 

[dontcallme]

This deal has only ever made sense to me if the transfer fee is low. I like him and think he could be a good addition to our midfield options.

But he’s not a player to spend so much on.

 

[cliff jones]

68m lol