Pochettino gets his way as Chelsea won’t sell important asset despite board’s desire to raise funds
Conor Gallagher, Axel Disasi and Ben Chilwell celebrate goal for Chelsea
Transfer insider Dean Jones has revealed that Conor Gallagher will “probably be staying” at Chelsea as he doesn’t want to leave and neither does Mauricio Pochettino.
Gallagher is one of only a few players that came through the Blues’ academy in recent years to still be at the club. Indeed, Mason Mount, Andreas Christensen and Callum Hudson-Odoi are among those to have left the club recently.
With long-term assets Mateo Kovacic, Cesar Azpilicueta and Jorginho also having left in recent transfer windows, the club is relying on performances from players who have only just joined.
It’s of little surprise that Chelsea finished 12th last season and are mid-table again this term, with the squad struggling to gel given so many new faces have been thrown together.
As such, it seems important that Gallagher remains. Not only is he Chelsea through and through, but he’s been one of the club’s most important players over the past couple of seasons.
He played 35 times in the league last term, and Pochettino has handed him the captain’s armband on occasion this season, highlighting how highly he thinks of him.
The boss is currently at odds with the Chelsea board, though, as TEAMtalk recently revealed they want to sell Gallagher, potentially as a way of staying in line with Financial FairPlay regulations.
Pochettino is against the idea of his midfielder leaving, and Gallagher himself wants to remain with his boyhood club.
Pochettino gets his way
According to transfer insider Jones, the club do want to raise funds in order to evade FFP sanctions.
“I’m told so yeah. I think there’s this narrative around the fact that if Chelsea are going to go and spend more money, then the best way for them to raise funds and to avoid FFP sanctions is to sell lads that comes from the academy,” he told GIVEMESPORT.
“And I totally understand that and it’s true.”
However, he identifies how strange it is that the board would want to get rid of one of their most influential players – Gallagher has assisted four times this season and missed one league game – and has been told Pochettino will likely get to keep his man.
“Selling Gallagher just doesn’t make much sense when he’s so ingrained in what Pochettino has been doing so far this season, Jones added.
“Gallagher doesn’t want to leave, Pochettino doesn’t want him to leave and from what I understand the conversations that have happened, while they might not be on the verge of a complete breakthrough when he was signing a new contract, I was told a couple of weeks ago that he probably will be staying.”
Gallagher future will be decided soon
Those contract negotiations could be sorted soon, as Jones expects them to progress in the New Year, with Gallagher eventually putting pen to paper.
“So I would expect once we get to the New Year that one really does kick on. We do need clarity on it pretty soon, but I’d be very surprised if Gallagher ended up leaving,” Jones said.
While it’s out of Pochettino’s hands, he’ll want the future of one of his most important players to be sorted soon.
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