Chelsea risk angering Mauricio Pochettino amid West Ham United twist in pursuit of Conor Gallagher
Chelsea are at risk of angering manager Mauricio Pochettino if they sell Conor Gallagher amid interest from West Ham United, according to Sunday People.
The newspaper reported in its print edition (24 December, page 52) that the Blues manager could well be angered by the sale of Gallagher after Pochettino admitted he had left discussions over the “fantastic” midfielder’s future between the player and club.
Gallagher only has 18 months left on his contract at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea are yet to move to extend his stay, while Tottenham, West Ham and Newcastle United are all interested in signing the England international in January.
Spurs had a £40 million verbal offer rejected on transfer deadline day in the summer, while the Hammers are “keen” on the midfielder, but Pochettino won’t play a part in the ultimate decision as he believes his input will not help discussions.
Prepare the bid
It seems as though everyone in charge at Chelsea beyond Pochettino has already made their mind up about Gallagher’s future, with the consensus being that the midfielder should be sold in January rather than be tied down to a new contract extension.
From a West Ham perspective, these recent comments from the Chelsea manager should see the Irons start to prepare their January bid now as it seems as though the England international will be available to the highest bidder once the window opens.
Gallagher has been impressive for Chelsea so far this season and while the Irons are well-stocked in the middle of the park, the 23-year-old is very different to any of the options already at David Moyes’ disposal. He would help provide some much-needed midfield depth.
While the likes of James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez have impressed in claret and blue this season, they are having to play a hell of a lot of football given the lack of alternative options at the London Stadium.
In truth, there should be no more incentive required for the Irons than the possibility of the purchase causing more drama between Pochettino and the Chelsea bosses. Not only would West Ham get a quality midfielder, but they would cause a bit more tension at Stamford Bridge which can never be a bad thing.
In other West Ham news, Simon Jordan has been left unhappy with some of Moyes’ recent comments at the London Stadium