Conor Gallagher is entering some very important weeks for his future. Will Pochettino and Chelsea let an important figure carrying the team’s DNA leave this January?
Mauricio Pochettino said at the beginning of January that he had received assurances from the Chelsea board that player sales would not be a prerequisite for new signings in the transfer market in January.
As the transfer window approaches, Gallagher’s position will feel precarious because he is considered a player capable of bringing in a large sum of money to help the team balance the books.
And in this analysis, we will learn about Gallagher’s merits and why Chelsea was willing to let a homegrown talent leave the club at such an important time in his early days leading the team. Coach Pochettino’s ball.
How does Gallagher outperform his more valuable teammates?
With Chelsea enduring another poor season, Gallagher is one of the few bright spots the Blues have. He is often promoted by Coach Pochettino as captain, and this midfielder’s statistics also show why he deserves to take on this important responsibility at Chelsea.
Paired with Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, both players cost more than 100 million pounds, but Gallagher, a player who only graduated from the academy, proved to be superior to both.
The 23-year-old has established himself in the Premier League with eight goals and five assists on loan at Crystal Palace during the 2021/22 season. And while Gallagher may not be able to achieve those numbers when he returns to Stamford Bridge, he is still the leader in most parameters at Chelsea. Compared to Chelsea midfielders, who play on average every 90 minutes, he excels in his ability to create assists, create chances, pass the ball in the final third, and dribble past people.
But Gallagher is not only a contributor to the main attacking force in Chelsea’s midfield; he also excels in the defensive aspect.
Once again, the England international ranked ahead of Fernandez and Caicedo in terms of their ability to compete in duels and regain control of the ball. Those numbers further reveal the disappointing things that the South American midfielder pair have achieved at Chelsea. However, that parameter also shows how important Gallagher is to this duo on the field.
Pochettino knows Gallagher’s value to Chelsea
Pochettino has named Gallagher as the most important person in his career at Chelsea. It’s easy to see why Pochettino said that. As we have highlighted the highlights of the English player, Gallagher is an indispensable factor in the way Pochettino plays.
The Argentine coach’s intentions and unity are clear, although things are still a bit flawed on the field. But that was not the fault of the tireless Gallagher, who kept the team that was very inexperienced in this match.
He acts as an enforcer at Chelsea. Gallagher has fouled out at least 13 more times than any other player in the league (47) this season. He plays the role of someone who creates problems for opponents before teasing them with a run or a sharp pass.
Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports in December, Pochettino reiterated his fondness for the Cobham Academy graduate after Gallagher’s rise in playing style: “Gallagher is one of many captains, and I feel happy with him. If Conor plays for me, then it means he is doing his duty for the team. He is a player we trust and is still in our plans. Chelsea.”
Whether that was Pochettino’s appeal to Chelsea’s owners remains unclear, but it is hard to see how the Blues and Pochettino himself could lose such an asset.
Heat map by Conor Gallagher
The stories shared in the past are something you cannot copy. Gallagher has Chelsea in his DNA; he has been in their squad since he was eight years old, and that DNA is also shown through his performances in the blue shirt. You can see it in the way Gallagher celebrates any victory, no matter how big or small, and how painful it is when Chelsea lose. It is a completely personal category that no one can repeat.
In tough times, Gallagher is like a lone guy on a mission: when everyone else shuts down, the outcome seems beyond their control. But at the same time, you could see Gallagher was still trying to keep going; he played like he wanted to rescue the situation at any cost. And at Chelsea right now, there aren’t many players willing to do the same.
Tottenham are still looking to approach Gallagher; they are attracted by his tenacity. Maybe Gallagher just needs to make a short journey from west to north London in pursuit of a fresh start. But that is not his nature, because at Chelsea there are still many things to strive for.
Gallagher deserves to be a role model for young people in England to follow if they want to pursue a football career
Part of Gallagher’s appeal is the commitment he shows every week, which also highlights his ability to subtly command his teammates.
Although Gallagher is still far from the stature of a luxury player,. But he is still pushing the Chelsea team forward and will become a role model for any young hopefuls who want to pursue a career as a midfielder in the Premier League.
That’s why a backlash will definitely happen if Gallagher is sold in January. Is the return big enough to take the risk when Chelsea doesn’t have Gallagher?
Why did Chelsea sell?
If Gallagher had captained Chelsea in more than half of their matches this season, he would be their best midfielder and clearly in Pochettino’s plans, but why would the club be ready to sell Gallagher despite the above reasons?
In short, everything revolves around one word: money.
January 15 may not be a particularly meaningful day for most football fans, but it will be marked with a big ‘X’ on the calendars of Premier League clubs. The reason is because that day was the day they were informed whether they complied with the financial fair play rules (PSR) last season or not.
The example from Everton has shown that failure to comply with the Premier League’s financial fair play rules can have serious consequences. And when there is such a typical example, the question is: will Chelsea do the same or not?
But even if the Blues meet Financial Fair Play requirements this year, their purse strings in the current season and beyond could be a worry. This is because Chelsea is absent from the Champions League and will likely continue to not be able to play in the European Cup for at least another season in a mid-table position.
Not being able to play in C1 with uncontrolled spending can greatly affect Chelsea’s financial situation
Without revenue from UEFA and having spent more than 1 billion pounds in the past three transfer periods, selling heroes like Gallagher who have developed their careers from the team’s training center becomes a very big problem. reality.
This is because players like Gallagher cost nothing to buy, so the entire transfer fee can be credited to the clubs’ accounts as profit.
The same is true of Mason Mount and Trevoh Chalobah, players who graduated from the Chelsea academy. It is no coincidence that Mount was sold last summer, and Chalobah also left earlier than expected. The opportunity for Chelsea to collect some money from Gallagher is about to close because the English midfielder only has 18 months left on his contract with the Blues.
Selling a player like Gallagher is something no one wants; some might say it’s an ugly move by the team to throw away their talents. But the aspect of modern sport is now different because when clubs feel encouraged to develop players for profit, they are willing to sell them to balance their budgets. .
Chelsea’s owners can accept the fans’ reaction to prevent future penalties
It is true that Chelsea’s uncontrolled spending has accidentally pushed them into this situation, where they have to sell the brightest and most prominent player right at the time they need him the most.
It was not a disappointing prospect for Chelsea fans when Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali took over the team. But the owners can afford to endure the inevitable backlash from fans when selling Gallagher, as long as they can prevent potentially serious penalties in the future.