Summary Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Conor Gallagher from Chelsea to replace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and improve their midfield. Gallagher had a standout season on loan at Crystal Palace, scoring eight goals and providing five assists. Gallagher ranks highly in tackles, blocks, and touches in the opposition penalty area, making him a dynamic and intelligent player who can lead the press. He has been compared to Jude Bellingham in terms of playing style and potential.
Tottenham Hotspur have come alive this summer window, with Ange Postecoglou desperate to purge the club of what he sees as detrimental to its progress. However, it could now be another signing that helps push him towards the new level he seeks to attain.
Is Conor Gallagher leaving Chelsea?
The latest on the Lilywhites' transfer progress comes via the Daily Mail, who detail their interest in prying Conor Gallagher from Chelsea.
Having identified him as a midfield target to replace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who continues to be linked with a switch to Atletico Madrid, the combative maestro could provide an all-action upgrade to help propel the club into a brighter, more exciting future.
It is noted further down the report that Spurs' Australian coach is a big admirer of the 23-year-old and his energetic approach, viewing him as a perfect fit for his plans.
Given the West London club commanded a £50m fee earlier this month, and have already offloaded Mateo Kovacic to Manchester City and Kai Havertz to Arsenal, perhaps they will finally refrain from allowing another of their stars to improve a rival unless they are sufficiently remunerated.
How good is Conor Gallagher?
Despite having endured a tough recent campaign, it is worth outlining how distracting the recent unsettled nature of Stamford Bridge must have been for all involved.
The true standout season for the young maestro came during his loan spell at Crystal Palace, where Patrick Vieira helped mould him into a key offensive threat from the engine room.
That 2021/22 term would see him score eight and assist a further five across all competitions, with his return to Chelsea expected to see his career progress. However, three managers throughout one year stunted that significantly.
In what has been something of a fire sale this summer for the Blues, Gallagher could mark a shrewd steal for Postecoglou, seeking to bolster his midfield with the perfect number eight to press from the front.
In fact, when compared against other midfielders across Europe, he ranks in the top 23% for tackles per 90, the top 4% for blocks per 90, and the top 3% for touches in the opposition penalty area per 90, via FBref.
His dynamic and intelligent assets help him lead a press with success, and under the system that Postecoglou will employ, he could be key, especially when the words of journalist Tom Dutton are echoed:
"Conor Gallagher is bordering on irreplaceable. A monster in our midfield."
What further outlines his promise are the similarities he shares with another star youngster from within his national setup, Jude Bellingham.
Having moved to Real Madrid just this summer in a ground-breaking €103m (£88.5m) move, the 20-year-old is set to light up Spanish football with his similarly all-action style and creative threat.
FBref even seeks to emphasise the comparison by including the former Borussia Dortmund star on Gallagher's 'similar players' list.
His final year in Germany supports such a notion too, as alongside his 7.40 average rating in the Bundesliga, he would record 12 goal contributions, 1.1 key passes and 2.5 tackles per game, via Sofascore.
He too has that tough-tackling nature to pair with pure quality, for which he has been lauded by Phil Foden:
"He's one of the most gifted players I've ever seen. I don't see a weakness in his game, I think he's got everything. I'm sure he's going to be the best midfielder in the world."
Whilst his pedigree is far above that of Spurs' potential new signing, there is no reason to believe that Gallagher could not have an equally transformative effect on Postecoglou's team with all the similarities that make the Birmingham-born starlet so revered.
