The INCREDIBLE stat that proves Chelsea would be foolish to sell Conor Gallagher

Cameron Smith

• 29 Dec 2023 13:26 GMT
• 4 min read

Conor Gallagher could be set to leave Chelsea during the January transfer window as the Blues are reportedly open to selling the England international.

Gallagher, 23, has been a key player for Mauricio Pochettino so far this season and has worn the captain’s armband on numerous occasions due to the injury issues suffered by club captain Reece James and vice-captain Ben Chilwell.

However, while Pochettino is evidently a huge fan of the England midfielder, Chelsea are willing to offload him in order to fund a move for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

The Nigeria international recently signed a new contract in Naples, but he has fuelled speculation of a move to Stamford Bridge with his latest social media activity.

According to Ben Jacobs, Chelsea will sell Gallagher if a bid of around €55 million is placed. Tottenham Hotspur are interested and they are the most likely club to sign the Englishman during the January window.

However, Chelsea would be foolish to let one of their main competitors sign Gallagher.

Although the Blues have made it their mission to sign every talented youngster on the planet, their academy remains one of the best in Europe and selling another Cobham graduate will hurt its reputation once more.

The pathway to the first-team looked very clear during Frank Lampard’s first stint in charge, but it’s become far more blurry in recent years and selling academy products for ‘pure profit’ seems to be Chelsea’s aim in a bid to get around FFP rules.

However, their transfer strategy hasn’t worked (as seen by their league position) and while the current crop of young players may come good, there’s no guarantee that will happen because there is far too much competition for places.

Furthermore, selling Gallagher would go directly against Pochettino’s wishes, who clearly rates the former Crystal Palace loanee very highly.

Why Chelsea shouldn’t sell Conor Gallagher to Tottenham

Gallagher is a known quantity and in a squad of unknowns, that is very helpful. In addition, he has arguably been Chelsea’s best player so far this season.

His style of play may not align perfectly with Chelsea’s vision of controlled possession, but he has been incredibly effective in 2023-24.

In fact, as posted on X by OptaJoe, Gallagher is the ONLY player in Europe’s big five leagues with 20+ shots, 20+ chances created, 20+ dribbles completed, 20+ touches in the opposition box, 20+ duels won, 20+ tackles and 20+ interceptions so far this season.

He may be seen as a vessel for profit by the Chelsea hierarchy, but Gallagher has been vital this season and he clearly has a passion for the club that most simply don’t have.

As a result, selling him to Tottenham would be a very odd decision, especially considering the fact he would be brilliant in the Pape Matar Sarr role under Ange Postecoglou.