COMMENT: There’s a chance that a component of Chelsea’s summer transfer business will not sit well with the team’s incoming manager.
Mauricio Pochettino was a big fan of Chelsea star Conor Gallagher (Image: Getty)
Chelsea could run the risk of an early falling out with their new manager over a purported £75 million plan to fire Trevoh Chalobah and Conor Gallagher this summer. A double exit from Stamford Bridge for both Blues players has been suggested, which may irritate the candidate selected to succeed Mauricio Pochettino, whose departure by mutual consent was finalized on Tuesday.
Last season, Gallagher excelled under Pochettino, leading the squad without Reece James. Across all competitions, the England international, who is part of a provisional squad for Euro 2024, finished with seven goals and nine assists.
After a protracted absence, Chalobah, the defense, also performed admirably in the second half of the season. The 24-year-old made 17 appearances, and his transition to center back was accompanied by a surge in performance in the last few games of the campaign.
Since both players are academy graduates, Chelsea has not paid a transfer fee for them, so any money that could be acquired for them would simply be recorded as profit in the team’s books. The West Londoners implemented a transfer policy that has resulted in the departure of players such as Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Callum Hudson-Odoi in an effort to ease profit and sustainability violations.
Tottenham and numerous other Premier League and European clubs are interested in Gallagher and Chalobah, who are reportedly valued at £50 million and £25 million, respectively, according to The Telegraph.
Pochettino is regarded as a huge admirer of the pair and values their standing as academy products. He is probably not alone in considering both players to be important figures, and whoever takes over the Stamford Bridge dugout from the Argentine will probably be pleased with both of them.
After Chelsea defeated Tottenham 2-0 last month, with standout performances from Chalobah and Gallagher, Pochettino said, “They were fantastic, of course.” We frequently discuss the identities of the clubs and how players develop within them after going through the academy system.
Because this kind of game is so emotional, they can give a little bit more. However, that does not imply that the players who leave the academy feel any different.
Pochettino’s departure was confirmed by Chelsea on Tuesday night. Rumor has it that early contenders include Roberto De Zerbi and Hansi Flick. Given that both of those coaches value homegrown talent, it’s possible that they will insist on Chalobah and Gallagher staying.
Many people think that negotiations for Gallagher’s new contract have come to a standstill. There are just 12 months left on the current contract for the former West Brom and Crystal Palace loanee; Spurs and Aston Villa are reportedly interested.
