Conor Gallagher confirms where he wants to play next season

Club action for the 2023/24 season has come to an end and for the next few months, transfer stories are set to dominate headlines in the world of football. 

One such story is that of Conor Gallagher who has just had the best season of his career at Chelsea, entrenching himself in the hearts of match-going supporters and consolidating his place in the England squad.

The midfielder has also improved significantly in many areas of his game as he was the stand-in captain for much of the season with Reece James and Ben Chilwell struggling with injury. His leadership abilities came to the fore as Chelsea rescued a sixth-place finish in the Premier League to confirm a place in the UEFA Conference League. As a result, Chelsea tickets will be in high demand next season.

Gallagher’s box-to-box qualities were all on show as he represented a tireless presence in the Chelsea team, consistently leading by example with his relentless pressing. 

The midfielder would deliver seven goals and nine assists in 50 games last season, totalling the most minutes played in the squad, yet he is not seen as having a long-term future at Stamford Bridge.

This is why Chelsea were prepared to accept a £45million offer from Everton in January 2023 before West Ham and Tottenham were also encouraged to express serious interest the following summer.

Meanwhile, Gallagher was one of the first names on the team sheet under Mauricio Pochettino who admired his qualities and made it clear on multiple occasions that he would like to keep the midfielder.

Yet, this has not deterred potential suitors as Gallagher has remained on Tottenham's radar since Ange Postecoglou marked him as a key target upon his arrival last summer while Aston Villa are also interested in securing his services.

The Villains have reportedly opened preliminary talks with Chelsea and Gallagher’s representatives over a possible move this summer, with Unai Emery keen to bolster his midfield options ahead of a return to the UEFA Champions League in 2024/25.

Given there are 12 months left on Gallagher's Chelsea contract, a decision must be made in this transfer window.

Time for homegrown departures?

Chelsea has spent over £300million on midfielders in the last 18 months with the fees paid for Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo representing a huge chunk of that outlay. 

Recent reports indicate that the Blues must generate substantial funds to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) by the end of June.

Hence, Gallagher is a potential candidate for a sale to be included in their 2023/24 records before the deadline of June 30 as any moves beyond that will be considered in the 2024/25 campaign.

This is why interested clubs want to move quickly for the former Crystal Palace and West Brom loanee for a bargain fee in the coming weeks. Nevertheless, Gallagher has dealt a significant blow to his suitors by announcing his excitement to work with new Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.

His intentions were made clear by a desire to stay at Chelsea and work under the Italian, telling Sky Sports: “Myself and everyone at Chelsea are excited and happy to work with Enzo Maresca. We want to get Chelsea back to where they belong!”

It is pertinent to note that throughout this transfer saga, Gallagher’s desire to stay at Chelsea has been well-documented. Having come through their youth ranks, he also comes from a family of Chelsea fans and lived a ten-minute drive from their training ground in Stoke d'Abernon.

Yet, the possibility of a summer exit is very likely with Chelsea's financial situation perhaps necessitating a sale, the likes of Tottenham and Aston Villa will continue to monitor the situation closely with La Liga side Atletico Madrid also being mentioned.

Gallagher's sustained commitment to the Chelsea cause complicates the transfer prospects despite Chelsea officials insisting they expect the club to comply with the PSR rules for 2023/24 without making player sales before June 30.

A controversial £ 76.5 million sale of two hotels outside the stadium to another subsidiary company of Chelsea’s ownership group was decisive in getting through the £105m allowable loss limit for PSR in 2022,23. Chelsea’s qualification for the Conference League also means they will be subjected to UEFA’s club licensing and financial sustainability regulations (FSR), which only allow losses up to £68.5million for the 2024/25 monitoring period. 

However, there is less pressure on that front as UEFA counts the financial year from January 1 to December 31.

Overall, Chelsea must consider the message this sends to the academy players and youngsters they are looking to sign: even if you are good enough to captain the team, you are still disposable as pure profit.

Having stepped up to fill the leadership void left by James and Chilwell’s injury misfortunes, Gallagher’s stock continues to rise and he looks primed for a role at EURO 2024.

Gallagher was the club's best midfielder last season amidst the presence of big-money signings like Fernandez and Caicedo, and a rumoured £ 50 million valuation is less than the amount it cost Manchester United to sign Mason Mount last summer. Chelsea could still fetch more money for Gallagher despite one year left on his contract and the best way to maximise his transfer fee is by sparking a bidding war for the player, with Atletico’s interest being a keynote.

The player is in an extremely strong position and he can expect a large pay rise in his next contract, whether at Chelsea or elsewhere. If he is to be sold, a move abroad suits Chelsea best as it would be an extremely unwise decision to sell an improving player to two clubs who they should be battling with for a Champions League spot next season.

Alternative solutions

Chelsea do not necessarily need to sell Gallagher as they are already guaranteed £28million through the permanent sale clause in Lewis Hall’s Newcastle loan, while the proceeds of Mount’s £55m transfer to Man United will go on this year’s accounts. They are also banking between £11m and £14m on add-ons from loan and transfer deals last season.

Elsewhere, the Blues could generate £35m from Ian Maatsen’s release clause while Armando Broja and Trevoh Chalobah could raise another £50m combined. Omari Hutchinson is also expected to command a sizable fee after helping Ipswich Town gain Premier League promotion during his loan spell. 

Should Gallagher find an agreement with Chelsea and sign a contract extension, he must have made a real decision as regards playing regularly in a different tactical system under Maresca as there is no guarantee of continuing last season’s trajectory.

Therefore, going into one more year at Stamford Bridge would be a big risk for the player. 

Cover Credits - The Times