Eight Chelsea players are appearing at Euro 2024 this summer.
The tournament has already kicked off in Germany, with the first round of group games concluded and it produced several entertaining matches.
You could argue that a player no longer at Chelsea has probably had one of the biggest impacts so far and that’s France midfielder, N’Golo Kante.
The Saudi Pro League player put on a stunning Man of the Match display to help one of the favourites for the competition beat Austria in their opening group game.
Another one of the favourites – Gareth Southgate’s England – have two Chelsea players at their disposal, Conor Gallagher and Cole Palmer.
Despite Palmer’s outstanding season, he wasn’t expected to start and was an unused substitute for the 1-0 win over Serbia.
On the other hand, Gallagher came on for around 20 minutes for Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is being deployed in midfield.
Ahead of England’s second group game encounter against Denmark on Thursday, Gary Neville stated that Southgate wants to start a player like Gallagher, as he told ITV Sport.
But he thinks that the move would be ‘unpopular’ with the fans because it would be deemed ‘negative’.
It’s only one game so far, but the switch of Alexander-Arnold playing in midfield has yielded mixed results and some aren’t impressed.
That’s why there is a lot of talk about England’s midfield and who should be starting alongside Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.
Should Conor Gallagher start for England at Euro 2024?
“I don’t think we have what I would call a classic holding midfield player who can get on the half-turn and get us playing,” said Neville.
“I think, even Declan Rice, for Arsenal for the last 15-16 games of the season, he was in that left channel and playing high up the pitch. Jorginho or Partey came in. I think Gareth, ideally, would like another player who could do that job. That’s Mainoo or Wharton.
“There is something, from me, that Gareth wants to get Gallagher into the team. He is obviously going to make unpopular decisions. He isn’t scared of it. But there is an element of wanting to get Gallagher in, but he knows that will be deemed quite negative. He’s not gone for Mainoo or Foden and Bellingham.”
Conor Gallagher’s future
There has been a lot of noise around what will happen to the player this summer, with Chelsea reluctant to hand him a new contract, as HITC revealed.
Gallagher has 12 months left on his contract and played 50 out of 51 games last term, before Mauricio Pochettino’s surprise exit.
Chelsea fans clearly love Gallagher and it’s his boyhood club, so it’s pretty obvious what he and the fans want.
But the likes of Tottenham are showing interest in the all-action midfielder, so when Euro 2024 is over, everyone will want a definitive answer as to what happens to the player and his long term future.
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