Former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson admits he would be ‘mind blown’ if the Premier League giants sold captain Conor Gallagher to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
It certainly wouldn’t be a good look.
The first player to swap Chelsea for Spurs since Carlo Cudicini 15 years ago, and not only that but one of Conor Gallagher’s influence and importance. The midfielder is Chelsea’s captain, a homegrown, academy graduate, and – furthermore – one of their most consistent performers during a difficult debut season for Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.
HITC Football understands that Tottenham Hotspur remain keen on the England international, however, with a late, deadline day move across the city not yet out of the question.
Tottenham are big Conor Gallagher fans
“It’s absolutely bonkers. I’d be mind blown if they let this happen. It can’t happen,” a baffled Johnson, who spent four years at Chelsea until 2007, tells Squawka.
“There’s no smoke without fire so maybe there have been talks in the past. They were talking at the start of the season if he was going to get any game time, if he was going to go out on loan, so maybe it’s just continued from that.
“In terms of how the season has worked out, he’s played a lot more than people would have thought. And he’s played well.
“I think they’d be crazy to get rid of him.”
‘Crazy’, maybe, but make no mistake, it would be a sale borne out of necessity rather than desire. As The Sun point out, Chelsea could be forced into selling Gallagher due to the fear of potential Financial Fair Play sanctions. Homegrown players like him represent 100 per cent ‘pure profit’, after all.
Gallagher, at a reported £50 million, also feels more sellable and represents greater value for money than either Trevoh Chalobah – the seldom-seen defender – or Armando Broja, the striker who has scored only three goals since the start of last season amid serious injury issues.
HITC Football understands that Wolves failed with a loan bid for Broja earlier in the week. Chelsea will only let the Slough-born Albania international go if an obligation-to-buy clause is included in his contract.
Chelsea may have to sell their captain
“I really like Gallagher,” Jamie O’Hara, a member of Spurs’ League Cup winning squad in 2008, tells talkSPORT (12 December, 9.40am).
“He’s got brilliant energy, he gets around the pitch. He lacks a bit of what (James) Maddison has got, in terms of star quality, but he’s got energy. And you’ve seen with Ange Postecoglou, he likes high energy.
“I would be surprised if Chelsea let him go. He’s been quite a big part of their side. Only him, Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling have done any good!
“But if they want to (sell), yeah, we will take him.”
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