Chelsea have ruled out the departure of young midfielder Conor Gallagher before the end of the transfer window, despite interest from clubs across the Premier League.
So far, the 22-year-old has racked up 18 Premier League appearances for the Blues since returning over the summer, including 9 starts, but has been frequently linked with a move away as Chelsea look to reinvigorate their squad. And he was the subject of a £40m bid from Everton on Monday, with Crystal Palace and Newcastle United both also thought to be keen on the England international.
However, with Jorginho on the verge of joining Arsenal in a deal worth £12m, and an agreement for Enzo Fernandez yet to be found between the Blues and Benfica, Chelsea have opted to keep the 22-year-old at Stamford Bridge for at least the remainder of the season.
As per the Athletic, “there is little interest at the west London club in sending him on another loan and offers to take the England international permanently have fallen well short of where they value him”.
As it stands, Gallagher is one of two senior central midfielders that are fit, with N’Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek still recovering from injury. However, the bright talents of Carney Chukwuemeka and Andrey Santos threaten to overtake the Englishman, with expectations particularly high around Santos should he be able to secure a work permit.
Chelsea face Fulham in the Premier League on Friday as they look to improve on a dismal first half of the season, and it is likely that Gallagher will be part of what could be a much-changed starting XI following the seven new arrivals at Stamford Bridge this winter.
