Chelsea ‘green light’ £50m exit amid claim Poch favourite’s transfer to Spurs is ‘close to agreement’

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·5 January 2024

Chelsea ‘green light’ £50m exit amid claim Poch favourite’s transfer to Spurs is ‘close to agreement’

According to reports, Chelsea are ‘listening to offers’ for England international Conor Gallagher amid interest from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

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Chelsea have spent over £1bn on signings since Todd Boehly’s takeover was completed but their poor start to the 2023/24 campaign has made it clear that they are still lacking a world-class striker.

Amid reports linking them with Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, The Independent claim Chelsea ‘need to make considerable sales to meet Profit and Sustainability rules before even considering’ an £100m outlay.

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It’s also thought the race for Toney with Arsenal ‘may actually become a race to see who can raise the necessary funds first’, with Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah and Ian Maatsen mentioned as potential sellable assets the Blues are willing to let go.

Gallagher was heavily linked with a move elsewhere in the summer as West Ham and Tottenham were mentioned as potential destinations.

Despite this, the England international has been an important player for Mauricio Pochettino this season. He has regularly captained the Blues this season and has started 19 Premier League games.

With his contract due to expire in 2025, he is still being linked with an exit as it’s recently been suggested Tottenham are ‘close to an agreement’ to land him. 90min claim ‘Chelsea are currently planning to keep hold of him but will listen to offers that total £60m’. The report adds.

‘Sources have confirmed to 90min that as part of club policy, Chelsea will consider bids for the midfielder as he is in the final 18 months of his contract and they do not want to risk losing him on a cut-price deal or for free. This was also the same approach used for Mason Mount, who ended up being sold to Manchester United. ‘Chelsea would listen to offers of £45m up front as part of a total package between £55m and £60m. This price is currently proving prohibitive to interested sides like Tottenham Hotspur, who were put off Gallagher in the summer having learned a planned £35m offer would have fallen well short of the Blues’ valuation. ‘Contrary to reports across Europe, Spurs are not currently in talks with Chelsea about a January deal for Gallagher.’

Chalobah is more likely to move on, though. Graeme Bailey for HITC has reported that the defender – who was valued at £50m in the summer – is ‘free to talk with interested clubs with Premier League teams admirers’.

Chelsea ‘would prefer to cash in’ on Chalobah but they have ‘accepted that they may have to green light an initial loan deal’ to get him out of the door this month.

The report adds: ‘HITC Football understand that, while Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Bournemouth are admirers and have enquired about Chalobah in the recent past, the likelihood is that he will become the latest homegrown Chelsea talent to pack his bags and leave the Premier League behind.’