Gallagher vs Gilmour - Who will win place in Chelsea team?
James Shearman
- Updated: 25 May 2022 20:11 BST
- 3 min read
Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour will be fighting for a place in Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea team next season.
While there is a chance that both could be a part of the squad, only one of them can realistically earn regular minutes.
Gallagher has excelled on loan at Crystal Palace, scoring eight goals and earning a nomination for the Premier League Young Player of the Season award.
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Gilmour, on the other hand, struggled at 20th place Norwich City, whose fans often called for his loan to be terminated.
Although, it is the 20-year-old who has previous experience of playing at Stamford Bridge.
But who will come out on top?
Gallagher vs Gilmour
Given the depth of Chelsea's squad, breaking into the first-team picture will be a struggle for both Gallagher and Gilmour.
N'Golo Kante, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are all on the books for next season in the central midfield position.
One positive for Gallagher, however, is that the member of that quartet that he is most similar to (Kante) is also the most injury prone and has shown signs of declination.
So, there is a real possibility that he is molded into the next version of the Frenchman in the 2022-23 season and then takes over the role completely after that.
David Edgar, close with Billy Gilmour’s family, has said that he doesn’t want to do another loan at Chelsea and will leave Chelsea permanently if Tuchel doesn’t offer him gametime next season. pic.twitter.com/UkA7zmvI3l
— Pys (@CFCPys) May 24, 2022
As for Gilmour, he is already in the mold of one of Chelsea's key players - Jorginho.
This would make the Scotsman's transition into the team much easier, given Tuchel could slot him into an existing role immediately.
So, Gilmour could either rotate with Jorginho or replace him, should he leave for Juventus - which has been rumoured.
That said, Gallagher's loan at Palace has been so impressive that he has to be part of the German boss' plans.
His work rate and intensity is something that Tuchel will love, as he does already with two-time Player of the Season Mason Mount.
Read more about: UEFA Champions League, Premier League, C. Palace, Chelsea, Norwich, Billy Gilmour, Conor Gallagher, Jorginho, N. Kanté
