Tottenham have Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher in their sights as Ange Postecoglou’s squad starts to take shape ahead of the new season.
As Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been targeted by Atletico Madrid and German clubs, Spurs are looking at midfield options, with Gallagher emerging as a contender to vie for a spot under Postecoglou.
James Maddison, Tanguy Ndombele, and youthful midfielders Oliver Skipp and Pape Matar Sarr have all been signed by Tottenham’s new manager, while Rodrigo Bentancur is recovering from a catastrophic knee injury.
Hojbjerg was the mainstay of Tottenham’s midfield last season and his departure would need a player to come in with the box-to-box energy of Gallagher.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is an admirer of Gallagher and a move will come down to whether he is deemed a player who can be sold this summer.
Prior to signing Sandro Tonali in that position, Newcastle United previously expressed interest in Gallagher. He has also been associated with Aston Villa.
According to the present market and considering that Gallagher is a homegrown talent and has a high resale value at the age of 23, he may cost up to £50 million.
He graduated from Chelsea’s Cobham Academy and made his first-team debut last season after loan stints at Charlton, Swansea, West Brom, and Crystal Palace.
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If a deal were to be finalized, it would be a rare transfer between the two London rivals, who usually leave each other’s players alone. Carlo Cudicini, who was given a free transfer to Spurs in 2009 as compensation for his work at Chelsea, was the final player between them to be signed for the first team.
Mateo Kovacic has already been sold to Manchester City, Ruben Loftus-Cheek has moved on to AC Milan, and N’Golo Kante has joined Saudi Arabia, therefore Chelsea is currently looking to acquire another central midfielder to pair alongside Enzo Fernandez.
If he stays, Gallagher would be vying for a spot in Chelsea’s first team. Last season, he played in 35 Premier League games, but 17 of those were as a substitute. He initially received an England call-up while playing for Palace, collecting the first of his seven caps and securing a spot in the World Cup squad last year.
When Postecoglou held his first press conference last week, he mentioned changes to his team. Manor Solomon will also be joining the team on a free transfer, however, he will play in a more advanced position.
The Australian coach stated: “In terms of the squad, I think it’s fair to say the reason I’m here is because the club is seeking change. That typically indicates a personnel turnover. I must make use of my existing certainties while systematically eliminating my remaining uncertainty.”
