Newcastle made Chelsea star Conor Gallagher their top transfer target | OneFootball

Newcastle United have made Chelsea star Conor Gallagher their top transfer target, according to a report from the Sun.

The Magpies were also keen to sign James Maddison from Leicester City but their chances of securing a deal for the 25-year-old are very slim. They are now pursuing Gallagher as their top transfer target.

The 22-year-old is one of the best players to have emerged from the Blues academy. He was named Crystal Palace’s Player of the Year after enjoying an outstanding 2021-22 loan season at Selhurst Park.

Despite being a huge talent, the England international is likely to struggle for minutes if he stays at Chelsea. He could only make the substitutes bench against Everton last week, with Jorginho and N’Golo Kante preferred in midfield.

The West London outfit are also reportedly close to signing Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.

If the Dutch footballer arrives at Stamford Bridge, Gallagher would be pushed further down the pecking order. And with the World Cup set to start in November, the lack of regular football action would mean he wouldn’t be part of Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the prestigious competition.

Gallagher is a hugely talented player who has proved his abilities at Crystal Palace last season. He is highly rated for his goal scoring ability as he struck eight times in 34 league appearances during his stint at Selhurst Park.

The English footballer is also known for his defensive contributions, averaging 2.0 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 0.7 clearances per match in the Premier League last season.

It looks unlikely that Gallagher would accept a peripheral role at Stamford Bridge and likely would try to move to another club.