Conor Gallagher is set to be at the centre of a transfer tug of war. Chelsea’s willingness to entertain offers for the 23-year-old could prompt a race between Tottenham and West Ham after the Blues set an asking price of £50m for Gallagher. The Hammers have seen a £40m offer rejected for the England international as they look to invest in the middle of the park following Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal.
Gallagher isn’t the only midfielder on West Ham’s radar this summer, with James Ward-Prowse, Scott McTominay and Edson Alvarez of Southampton, Manchester United and Ajax, respectively, all linked with a summer switch to the London Stadium. While some at Chelsea would be eager to see Gallagher continue his career in west London, Mauricio Pochettino’s likely decision to use a 4-2-3-1 setup at Stamford Bridge means there isn’t a place in the immediate XI for the youngster.
As such, it’s not a surprise that Gallagher isn’t part of Pochettino’s plans for the future. West Ham may be keen on the midfielder, but it’s actually at Spurs where Gallagher could really thrive. Of course that would see the Blues negotiating the transfer of an academy product to a rival, becoming just the fourth player to leave Chelsea for Spurs in the Premier League era, and the first since Carlo Cudicini in January 2009, in the process.
While many may scoff at the idea of a player crossing the great divide, Gallagher would shine under Ange Postecoglou. There’s no denying that the best system for a player of Gallagher’s skillset is a 4-3-3 formation. He excelled as one of the two midfielders either side of the central holder for Crystal Palace in a 4-3-3 system under Patrick Vieira, and part of the reason why he was unable to replicate these performances for Chelsea last term is because he was used either in the No10 role or in a midfield two, which didn’t play to his strengths.
Reports suggest that Gallagher would be targeted as a potential replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg should he depart Spurs for Atletico Madrid, but with the Dane the more natural cover for Yves Bissouma as the defensive midfielder, the Chelsea man would be better suited in a role to the left or right of the midfield anchor.
This would enable Gallagher to play his best game in a 4-3-3 setup. Gallagher is neither a ball winner, nor a creator, but rather a box-to-box engine, content with getting up and down the pitch to either help in the final third or aid the defence. He’s the ideal number 8 for a side that’ll have two number 8s under Postecoglou next season, with summer signing James Maddison occupying one of these spots.
Here Gallagher will be able to showcase his best traits both on and off the ball. Were he required to get stuck in to help protect the defence, Gallagher can carry out this duty having chipped in with averages of 2.6 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per 90, according to WhoScored.com. This may be part of the thought process to determine he’d best best suited as the holding midfielder in a 4-3-3, yet this would rob Gallagher of the opportunity to get forward and support the attack.
Conor Gallagher of Chelsea signs autographs for fans— (Getty Images for Premier League)
He’s be able to drive forward with the ball at his feet having returned a modest 1.3 successful dribbles per 90 in a dysfunctional Chelsea side last season. Were he to feature at the base of the midfield, Spurs wouldn’t be able to fully utilise a core quality to his game.
In a high-pressing Spurs side, the best qualities to Gallagher’s game would really come to the fore. He’s one to get stuck in to help his team and has the fitness levels to do so to a high standard for the full 90 minutes. While this may also be the case at West Ham, David Moyes’ preference is a 4-2-3-1 setup, and the same issues that have arisen at Chelsea with Pochettino at the helm would potentially minimise his impact in east London.
At least with Spurs under Postecoglou, we know the north London side will use a 4-3-3 setup and a potential midfield trio of Gallagher, Bissouma and Maddison would provide the perfect blend of creativity, graft and defensive resolve.
Conor Gallagher directs his team during the first half of the pre season friendly match against the Brighton— (Getty Images)
Spurs do have a number of players who can operate in the role, notably Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele, but the pair have struggled following their high-profile arrivals from Real Betis and Lyon, respectively.
Gallagher would at least provide ample Premier League experience and aid Spurs with their homegrown quota. If they need another number 8 to complete their midfield, then he’d be a perfect addition.
