Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is strongly linked with a transfer exit this summer, but the club has now reportedly told him what’ll happen if he stays next season.
Despite all the speculation around Conor Gallagher leaving his boyhood club, it’s worth remembering that he’s still got one more year left on his deal at Stamford Bridge. He’s a product of the Chelsea academy and was a key first-team player for them last season, but things can change quickly in football.
It’s been reported by GiveMeSport that Chelsea have accepted Atletico Madrid’s bid for Gallagher, which is in excess of €40m (£34m). They added that the central midfielder turned down a three-year contract extension and the Blues would prefer to sell him now. Also, the England international is likely to make a decision on his future before he’s due back at Cobham on 6 August.
Chelsea tell Conor Gallagher he’ll be a squad player next season
According to journalist Ben Jacobs on X, Chelsea have now told Gallagher he’ll only be a squad player for them next season if he stays beyond the summer window.
It is explained that there’s fears the 24-year-old box-to-box midfielder won’t suit the preferred possession-based football of Enzo Maresca, who’s the new head coach with a clear style of play.
Gallagher was so influential both on and off the pitch for the Blues last season. In fact, no player in the entire squad made more appearances than him.
Here is the top five players with the most appearances for Chelsea in the recent 2023/24 campaign:
| Player | Appearances |
| Conor Gallagher | 50 |
| Moises Caicedo | 48 |
| Cole Palmer | 45 |
| Axel Disasi | 44 |
| Nicolas Jackson | 44 |
Competition in the Chelsea midfield
It’s no great surprise to hear Gallagher would only be a squad player if he stays at Chelsea, especially as the writing has been on the wall for his possible exit for weeks now. If he does stick around, don’t be surprised if he convinces the manager of his quality because he’s the ultimate professional.
The Blues midfielder looks stacked with the likes of Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Enzo Fernandez, Carney Chukwuemeka and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to choose from.
Dewsbury-Hall, who worked under Maresca last season at Leicester before his summer transfer, is someone to keep a close eye on. Speaking recently in quotes provided by Football.London, Maresca told Dewsbury-Hall to be vocal in pre-season, which is perhaps a big giveaway of his trust in him.
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