Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is likely to be part of the club’s first-team squad next season, according to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge.
Gallagher has spent the past season on loan at Crystal Palace, and was described as “special” by the club’s chairman Steve Parish last month, but Bridge does not expect him to be loaned out again.
The 22-year-old still has three years remaining on his Chelsea contract, and Thomas Tuchel must now decide whether to keep him, sell him, or loan him out again for another year.
Tuchel kept his cards close to his chest when asked about the futures of Gallagher and Armando Broja, who has been on loan at Southampton, shortly before the season ended, simply stating that they would return to the club for the start of pre-season.
“They will come back, for sure, because they are our players,” Tuchel told reporters.
“They are our players and I want to have them in pre-season and in pre-season we will decide what’s going on. It’s heavily linked to them… how they integrate and what they do and what our ideas are for them and what they want to reach.”
Bridge thinks Chelsea may be willing to let a couple of other midfielders leave rather than Gallagher, and with it being a little unclear as to how active Chelsea will be in the transfer market following their takeover, he feels the £22.5m-rated midfielder will be kept at Stamford Bridge.
Stamford Bridge.
Bridge told GIVEMESPORT: “I think with all the uncertainty about Chelsea’s takeover, they won’t be so blasé about who they put out on loan. And you’d probably say, they’d rather let go of Loftus-Cheek and Barkley than let go of Gallagher again.
“I think Gallagher ticks every box, and even off the pitch, he’s marketable, a good guy. I would be surprised if Tuchel didn’t have him as part of his squad next year.”
Will there be room in Chelsea’s squad for Gallagher?
Competition for places in Chelsea’s team is fierce, but Gallagher may be helped by the fact that he is capable of playing in central midfield or higher up the pitch, meaning he could cover multiple roles in Tuchel’s preferred 3-4-3 formation.
Tuchel can currently rely on the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho and N’Golo Kante in the middle of the park, but the latter two are out of contract in 2023, and with their long-term futures far from certain, it would appear wise to keep Gallagher on board.
Meanwhile, Chelsea lacked creativity at times this term, which is a big part of why they fell of the pace in the title race in the second half of the season.
Meanwhile, Chelsea lacked creativity at times this term, which is a big part of why they fell of the pace in the title race in the second half of the season
Mason Mount shone brightly once more, registering 11 goals and 10 assists in the league, but Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner may feel that they should have done better. With this in mind, Gallagher could sense an opportunity to put those players under pressure for their places in the team next season
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