Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur are set to tussle over the signature of Conor Gallagher. The Chelsea midfielder has been linked with a move away from the club for most of the summer. However, the England international has, so far, stayed put.
Gallagher has started every match so far this season under new Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino. The midfielder even captained the team for their Carabao Cup fixture with Wimbledon on Wednesday as well. Nevertheless, Chelsea has brought in multiple high-profile players in midfield so far this summer.
New signings could force English midfielder out of Chelsea
Chelsea recently purchased Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugochukwu. Their combined fee hovered around $222 million. Caicedo is almost a guaranteed starter in Pochettino’s lineup for most matches. Lavia and Ugochukwu could also very well feature heavily in the team this season as well. The two youngsters, although highly rated, are still just 19. They need limited time to develop for now.
Nevertheless, Chelsea does have options in midfield and could allow Gallagher to depart for a big fee. The Blues previously rejected an offer from West Ham for the midfielder in the $50 million range. This means that either Bayern or Spurs will have to top this amount of money. The Guardian is claiming that Chelsea would listen to offers closer to $63 million.
Tottenham, Bayern exploring deals for Gallagher
Spurs do have money to spend after selling superstar striker Harry Kane to Bayern earlier in the month. The German giants spent around $110 million to secure the 30-year-old forward. While the Premier League side can afford Gallagher, they may first need to offload players. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is almost certain to depart the north London outfit this summer. Atletico Madrid and Manchester United both have links with the Denmark international. Spurs may have to sell Hojberg before making a late move for Gallagher.
Bayern, on the other hand, might prefer to grab Gallagher on an initial loan deal. This, however, will most not please Chelsea officials. Current Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel is familiar with Gallagher thanks to his previous 20-month spell with the west London club. Tuchel is also in talks with Chelsea regarding defender Trevoh Chalobah as well.
