Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is prepared to fight to stay at the club despite an impasse in contract extension negotiations, according to the Daily Mail.
Discussions haven’t yielded significant progress, and the workhorse midfielder could still leave Stamford Bridge this summer because Chelsea don’t want to break their £150,000-per-week wage structure for him.
However, Gallagher is a boyhood Chelsea fan who came through the club’s Cobham Academy and wants to stay on.
Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur will test that loyalty this summer. They are monitoring his situation and looking to pounce as he enters the final year of his contract.
The Epsom-born star is on course to be in contention for Chelsea’s Player of the Year award despite missing glorious chances to win their League Cup final clash against Liverpool.
The Blues have shelled put around £1 billion on transfer fees since the arrival of the Clearlake Consortium in May 2022 and need to balance their accounts.
Chelsea have publicly denied any financial strain, but the club is reportedly under pressure to adhere to Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) by selling players.
This presents an interesting dilemma as Gallagher holds significant value on the PSR balance sheet due to minimal transfer spend.
Despite the contract situation, Chelsea will demand £50 million for Gallagher if they look to sell.
They believe this figure is achievable considering Mason Mount’s recent £60 million transfer to Manchester United. Mount was also in the final year of his contract.
However, interested parties will offer to pay lower than the valuation, with Gallagher potentially available on a free transfer next year.
Chelsea are also monitoring Armando Broja on his loan spell at Fulham. They will hope he can turn things around after an unremarkable start to life with the Cottagers.
They want him to do well so they can sell him to ease their financial concerns.
