Jamie Carragher slams Chelsea owners amid reports Conor Gallagher could join Tottenham | OneFootball

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has slammed Chelsea’s owners, consisting of Todd Boehly and Co., amid reports that they are open to selling midfielder Conor Gallagher to Tottenham Hotspur in the January transfer window. The former Liverpool defender claimed that the new owners have made a ‘mess’ of the club, with Gallagher's sale baffling considering the his affinity to the Blues.

Transfer specialist Pedro Almeida released the news on Twitter, claiming that the two London sides are in ‘advanced talks’ and are poised to reach an agreement around the €40 million mark, despite the Epsom-born star being one of Mauricio Pochettino’s standout players in the 2023/24 season. Gallagher is keen to stay at Stamford Bridge and work on cementing his place as a nailed-on starter under the Argentine’s tutelage, transfer insider Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT, but it seems as if his days in west London are numbered. The 23-year-old rose up the Cobham ranks throughout his youth, though he endured a series of loan deals to get him up to speed with senior football.

Upon his return from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2022, Gallagher has emerged as a key player for the Blues and has taken his appearance tally to 67, while he has notched three goals and five assists in that sequence, too. With his contract set to expire in the summer of 2025, Chelsea may not cut ties with him sooner rather than later to prevent him leaving as a free agent.

Carragher criticises Todd Boehly amid Gallagher exit rumours

Carragher: ‘What a mess’

This season alone, Gallagher has played in all but one Premier League game for Chelsea and has been, in the absence of Reece James and Ben Chilwell, handed the captaincy duties on 12 separate occasions across all competitions, thus proving his importance during an insipid season for Pochettino and his entourage. Carragher took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his worries about Gallagher’s situation, especially as it seems that Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is open to selling the midfielder, an academy graduate, all in the name of helping with Financial Fair Play (FFP).

On the back of his social media post, the pundit was quizzed whether he thought Chelsea would ‘genuinely’ do business with Tottenham, considering the old-age rivalry between the capital club duo. In quite stubborn fashion, he replied insisting that they would because of one key reason.

Chelsea have been known as the English top division’s big spenders in recent years, having spent just north of £400 million, per Transfermarkt, in the 2023 summer transfer market. The likes of Moises Caicedo, Roméo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku make up the majority of the Blues’ lofty expenditure across the summer months, but other players may now be paying the price. And offloading someone such as Gallagher would, certainly, help balance the books.

The 23-year-old spoke in November about his contract situation, with his current deal at Stamford Bridge to expire in 2025. Gallagher said that he was certain a new deal would get sorted, but with talks over a new deal stalling, Gallagher, like Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi and many more Cobham graduates, could be moved on.