Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has made clear that if it is solely down to him, Conor Gallagher will not be leaving the club anytime soon.
The Blues midfielder has been an ever-present in Pochettino's teams this season, but there are still lingering rumours that the England international could be on his way out of Stamford Bridge. The January transfer window is just weeks away and Pochettino clearly deemed it vital he address the issue before the turn of the year.
The Chelsea manager was firm in his stance that Gallagher is vital to the project he is building and heralded him as one of the leaders within the Blues dressing room. Speaking after Saturday's 2-0 home win over Sheffield United, Pochettino did also seem to hint that those above him in the club hierarchy will have the final say.
"It is a decision between the player and the club, to be or not to be," he claimed. "He is in the starting XI nearly every game and one of the captains. For me, he is the type of player that the club need to have.
"He is important because of his Chelsea values. He came from the academy, he loves the club and he is very committed. You can see that on the pitch — he runs, he plays, he fights. He does everything to win. He is a really important player that the coaching staff want to have on the team."
Gallagher's Chelsea contract expires in 18 months, which means the clock is ticking before the Blues are cornered into a position where they may be forced into selling him for cheaper than expected to avoid losing the midfielder for nothing.
As expected, the 23-year-old is not shy of potential suitors. A number of Premier League clubs are believed to have expressed an interest in landing his signature, including Newcastle and West Ham. Pochettino's stance on the matter is clear, he wants Gallagher for the long-term.
With that being said, the club are reportedly plotting a mega-money move for a new striker and Gallagher is rumoured to be viewed as a sellable asset by key figures within the club. Cashing in on the former Crystal Palace loanee may be the best way to balance the books before yet another high-profile attacking addition.
Zaptoez
9
I am reading comments and just smiling, most of you don't understand the business aspect of things... People say, "Sign Tony, sign Osimen" yet, they don't understand that the point Chelsea is, we have to sell before we can sign to keep up with financial fair play rule... if we sell this new plays we just bought, eg Mudryk, Enzo & Co... except we sell them more than what we bought them, it will be recorded as huge loss because non of them is even worth half the price they were bought. the best option is selling homegrown players like Chaloba, Masten, Gallagher, Broja and Co. the only marketable player there is Gallagher and he is yet to sign a new deal.. Chaloba and Masten can't give £20million each. don't forget, Newcastle are talking of returning Lewis Hall which Chelsea expected to make pure profit from Not to forget, we are not in Europe that would have given us extra cash So it's 2 things, it's either we sell homegrown players for us to be able to sign or we make do with what we have and hope they all pick up. Alternatively, look for free players we don't have to pay money to sign... or Loan That's the Fact The owners made huge mistakes signing players without Thinking