Chelsea to demand £50m as Premier League rivals eye midfield transfer

Suraj Radia

• 12 Jul 2023 16:57 BST
• 2 min read

Chelsea could be handed a further windfall this summer with Tottenham reportedly considering a move for Conor Gallagher in a £50 million deal.

The Blues have raised more than £200m from the sales of players such as Kai Havertz, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic as well as the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy leaving for Saudi Arabia.

Mauricio Pochettino was told prior to his arrival that Chelsea would prioritise outgoings this summer due to their bloated squad size as well as struggles with financial fair play and the exodus could continue with the sale of Gallagher.

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New Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has reportedly lined up Gallagher as a potential replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who is wanted by Atletico Madrid as well as clubs in Germany, according to The Telegraph.

Hojbjerg’s exit would leave a gap in Tottenham’s midfield for a box-to-box midfielder and Postecoglou is believed to have identified Gallagher as a target, although Chelsea would likely demand up to £50m for the England international.

Pochettino is thought to admire Gallagher and has not decided whether he wants to sell the 23-year-old, with Chelsea lacking numbers in his position due to the departures of a number of their midfield options.

Why Chelsea may hold off on Gallagher sale

Chelsea are looking to bring in at least one midfielder, having seen Kovacic, Mount, Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek all depart this summer, leaving just Gallagher, Enzo Fernandez and Carney Chukwuemeka as their senior options in the middle of the park.

Moises Caicedo is understood to be a priority option for Chelsea but, despite personal terms having been agreed for more than a month, Brighton’s asking price of £100m could scupper any chances of a deal.

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With Chelsea struggling to secure their targets so far, Pochettino could prevent the departure of Gallagher until later on in the window, depending on incomings.

Gallagher made 35 Premier League appearances for Chelsea last season, however 17 were from the bench, but the midfielder has featured regularly for England since impressing on loan at Crystal Palace in the 2021/22 season.

A deal with Tottenham would raise eyebrows given the rivalry between them and Chelsea, with Carlo Cudicini’s move to North London in 2009 the last time business was conducted between the two sides.