Since Frank Lampard’s appointment as Chelsea manager in the summer, a whole host of young talent is (finally) being utilized, something many Blues fans were fearing may never happen. Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, and Reece James are just a number of the youth products tearing it up in the first team, and there seems to be another player who is making a name for himself on loan and will be hoping for a first-team spot next season.
Central midfielder Connor Gallagher is on loan at Charlton Athletic and is already proving to be a pivotal part of a team who are 11th after just 16 games back in the Championship following their promotion from League One last year. He has a keen eye for a pass, whilst also possessing the ability to pop up in the box or score from distance.
This is the type of player many Chelsea fans thought they were getting when Ross Barkley signed from Everton in 2018. Barkley has struggled for form throughout his time at Stamford Bridge, and despite scoring six goals in pre-season, has failed to register a single goal or assist in six league appearances so far this season. Gallagher is seriously making a case for himself to replace Barkley in the Chelsea squad next season.
Having never played league football before this season, Gallagher has featured in all 16 league games this season for The Addicks, notching five goals and one assist in the process. This works out as a goal contribution every 2.6 games, an impressive rate for any central midfielder.
Safe to say Chelsea fans can get excited about Gallagher. He could certainly be the next successful youth graduate in what is becoming an ever-growing list at Chelsea.
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