The Conor Gallagher stat that proves he deserves a new Chelsea contract despite U-turn threat
Cameron Smith
- 17 Nov 2023 12:05 GMT
- 4 min read
Conor Gallagher was on the verge of a Chelsea exit during the summer, with the club seemingly happy to offload the England international.
Mauricio Pochettino was a fan, however, and Gallagher managed to cement his place in the Argentine’s plans at Stamford Bridge.
As the transfer window edged towards its closure, though, it looked as if a departure was still on the cards, amid a late push from Tottenham Hotspur. However, Ange Postecoglou’s side were unsuccessful in their attempts to sign Gallagher and the Cobham academy graduate stayed put at his boyhood club.
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Since then, Gallagher has become an integral part of Pochettino’s team and has arguably been Chelsea’s Player of the Season so far. The Englishman has started every Premier League match this campaign and has featured for the entire 90 minutes in 10 of the Blues’ 12 league fixtures.
He wore the captain’s armband on several occasions during Reece James’ injury lay-off and looks every bit the part next to Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.
Chelsea spent a combined €237 million on Fernandez and Caicedo, yet Gallagher has been the most impressive of the three so far in 2023-24.
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Of course, the Englishman’s game has been aided by the protection of the South American pair behind him, but Gallagher’s energy and tenacity has been crucial for Pochettino, particularly in big games.
Gallagher has epitomised Chelsea’s successes against the bigger teams this campaign, with the former Crystal Palace loanee playing a key role in the high-tempo style that Pochettino has implemented versus the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal.
In fact, Gallagher’s pressing has been incredibly important as Chelsea look to win possession back high up the pitch and create chances through Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer.
This can be seen in the statistics as Gallagher has regained possession in the attacking third on 20 occasions so far this season, which is the most of any player in Europe’s top seven leagues, as per Squawka.
He has arguably been Chelsea’s most important player this campaign, with Pochettinoi’s high-octane style of football simply not possible without Gallagher.
As a result, the England international deserves to be rewarded with a new contract at Stamford Bridge.
New Chelsea contract for Gallagher?
Gallagher’s current deal in west London runs until 2025, with next year likely to be Chelsea’s final chance to sell him if they decide against offering him a new contract.
However, his form this season warrants a fresh long-term deal. Whether Gallagher actually receives that remains to be seen though.
Reports suggest that Chelsea may perform an incredible U-turn and hold off giving the Englishman a new contract.
According to Chelsea journalist Simon Phillips, the Blues will wait until Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia return to full fitness before making a final decision regarding Gallagher.
Both Nkunku and Lavia joined Chelsea during the summer but have been ruled out through injury so far this season, meaning neither have made their competitive Blues debut.
As a result, reports suggest Chelsea want to analyse whether Gallagher remains a key first-team player when Nkunku and Lavia return to action. The former has been linked with replacing Gallagher in an attacking midfield role, while the latter could help push Enzo Fernandez into a more advanced position in place of Gallagher.
However, despite Chelsea’s reported uncertainty regarding offering Gallagher a new deal, there simply shouldn’t be a discussion.
The England midfielder has been superb this season and should be rewarded with a consistent place in the first-team and a new contract, even with the multitude of new midfield signings at Stamford Bridge.
He is a unique talent with a skillset that very few possess in world football. Gallagher’s ability in possession looks far more secure this campaign too, likely due to the improvement in technical quality around him, and Pochettino simply needs the Englishman to remain in his current squad.
