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Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher has been told he is ‘not good enough’ for Aston Villa – but an Arsenal misfit would be a ‘great signing’ for Unai Emery.
Gallagher, who is currently in Germany with England’s Euro 2024 squad, has been heavily linked with a move to Aston Villa.
Chelsea are open to selling the 24-year-old despite the fact he captained the side for much of last season and played in all but one of their Premier League games.
The Blues have an eye on profit and sustainability rules and need to trim new manager Enzo Maresca’s squad after signing Leicester City midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall earlier this week.
Emery remains interested in signing Gallagher but ex-Aston Villa striker Alan McInally says he is ‘not good enough’ to play for his former club.
Asked whether he wanted to see Gallagher arrive at Villa Park this summer, McInally told Gambling.com: ‘Nope… no. I don’t think he’s good enough to play for Aston Villa.
‘He’s a good player, he’s done alright, but I can’t for the life of me understand how he got in the England squad and plays in front of some other players.
‘Then again, that is the choice of Gareth Southgate. He has to stand by that.
‘I don’t see Conor Gallagher making Aston Villa any better and I want players to come to my football club that are exceptionally better than Conor Gallagher and that’s just the way I feel.
‘He’s a good player, he’s done very well for himself but I don’t see him being an Aston Villa player.
‘I don’t know how much he’s going to cost but at the same time I don’t see the fit there.’
While McInally doubts Gallagher would thrive at Aston Villa, he has urged the Midlands club to sign Arsenal attacking midfielder Emile Smith Rowe.
Smith Rowe has been tentatively linked with a move to Villa and could be sold by Arsenal after starting just three Premier League games last season.
‘I love him,’ McInally said of Smith Rowe, who has three caps for England. ‘He’s a really good player by the way, a really good player.
‘Would he get in the first team? I think he’d be pushing wouldn’t he. Obviously Douglas Luiz has gone to Juventus now, so there is a space in there along with (Boubacar) Kamara and John McGinn.
‘You can’t really count (Moussa) Diaby and (Leon) Bailey on the right-hand side so you can take them out of the midfield scenario.
‘In terms of young and energetic, on the fringes of a team that were going for the championship last season, I think he’d be a fantastic signing, I genuinely do. I think he’d be a great signing.’
Aston Villa enjoyed a superb season under Emery, finishing fourth in the Premier League to qualify for the Champions League for the first time.
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