Chelsea want rid of midfield star as Liverpool links cool but Borussia Dortmund tee up three-way battle

Chelsea are not showing much sign of wanting to keep Conor Gallagher, a report has claimed, and the midfielder has attracted three suitors.

Gallagher could have left Chelsea in the January transfer window when they accepted a £45million bid from Everton for him. However, he opted to stay at Stamford Bridge and fight for his place. Alas, he hasn’t convinced the club to keep him for the long term.

According to an update from the Daily Mail, Chelsea have identified Gallagher as someone they can sell this summer as they juggle with Financial Fair Play concerns.

After rejecting Everton in January, Gallagher has subsequently been linked with Liverpool. Yet the Daily Mail denies they have made any enquiry since the winter.

Instead, there are three clubs queuing up to sign Gallagher. Elsewhere in the Premier League, either Brighton or Newcastle could offer him the next step.

But perhaps most interestingly of all, Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund are being tipped to take him to Germany.

The report doesn’t specifically say whether that would be as a replacement for Jude Bellingham, or as someone to complement his England colleague.

Gallagher has spent his entire career within the English league system so far. His loan spells away from Chelsea earlier in his career were with Charlton Athletic and Swansea City in the Championship, and West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Since returning to the Chelsea first-team fold for this season, Gallagher has made 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring twice. He has only started 12 Premier League matches, though, coming on as a substitute more often.

There will be two seasons remaining on Gallagher’s contract by the time the summer comes around. However, it may be time for the 23-year-old to progress his career elsewhere.

Conor Gallagher could continue career away from Chelsea

It isn’t clear yet how much Chelsea would be asking for in terms of a transfer fee for Gallagher. Perhaps the figure they accepted from Everton in January could provide a clue.

Whether anyone would be willing to match that bid is another matter, given the fact that he has remained a fringe player at Chelsea since.

Frank Lampard has allowed Gallagher to complete 90 minutes in Chelsea’s two most recent Premier League matches, though. Perhaps he could have an impact until the end of the season.

After that, he might have to make a tough decision about where to go next in order to prevent his career from stagnating.

Chelsea could be looking to invest further in Gallagher’s position of midfield after already breaking the British transfer record in January to sign Enzo Fernandez from Benfica. Any additional arrivals should remind the academy graduate that his future at the club looks bleaker than he imagined a few months ago.

But Brighton, Newcastle and Dortmund are all exciting teams who could allow him to continue competing at a decent level. In fact, the Premier League pair are both above Chelsea in the table at present and, like Dortmund, could be likelier to have European football on offer next season.

Hence, it could be in Gallagher’s best interests to move on, although he will have to carefully consider where to.

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