5 months ago
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Chelsea are ‘considering’ a new contract for Conor Gallagher after holding talks with Aston Villa over a possible swap deal, according to reports.
Gallagher’s future has long been up in the air and it was thought that the Blues were looking to offload the midfielder, much to the anger and confusion of fans.
The England star was one of Chelsea’s best players last term but is out of contract at the end of next season with Tottenham and Aston Villa strongly linked to him.
Chelsea’s hierarchy – BlueCo – have made somewhat of a U-turn, though, and are actively considering a shift over their position, the Guardian have reported.
That comes after the Blues held informal talks with Villa over a swap deal for Gallagher, which would see Jhon Duran move in the other direction.
Following those discussions, Chelsea are now ‘open’ to securing Gallagher’s future if there is a resumption in talks with the player over a contract extension.
Gallagher was said to be ‘lukewarm’ over the idea of being involved in a swap deal for Chelsea to sign Villa star Duran.
Meanwhile, there have been suggestions that Gallagher will not be suited to the style of play used by Chelsea’s new head coach Enzo Maresca.
That is one of the reasons why Gallagher’s situation remains highly unpredictable and it’s important to note he could still be sold this summer for the right price.
Chelsea, who are desperate to avoid Gallagher leaving on a free transfer next summer, are also under financial pressure and need to find a ‘secret magic sum’ to comply with profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
Clubs who are under PSR pressure may look to prioritise selling academy graduates – such as Gallagher – as they represent pure profit on the balance sheet.
Wayne Bridge feels that would be a massive mistake, though, and the former Chelsea star has urged his old club to keep Gallagher at Stamford Bridge.
‘It’s been a bit of a shambles down there [at Chelsea],’ Bridge said. ‘The fact Conor Gallagher is in the mix just goes to show that when I say ‘shambles’, it is a shambles, because he’s probably their second-best player after Cole Palmer.’
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