The Lilywhites appear to be ready to “battle” for the signing of the England international.
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Conor Gallagher from Premier League rivals Chelsea, with the Englishman wishing to leave his current club.
According to journalist Nizaar Kinsella, the Lilywhites will compete with West Ham United for the signature of the 23-year-old, with the Blues willing to let the former Crystal Palace loanee leave this summer.
The transfer insider claimed on Twitter: “Chelsea are ready to sell Conor Gallagher despite his preseason appearances.” Tottenham and West Ham are in a straight competition for his signing. With two years left on his Chelsea contract, he’ll cost roughly £35 million.”
Kinsella writes for the Evening Standard that the north Londoners are in need of indigenous players as well as a possible successor for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who has wanted to leave the club to join Atletico Madrid.
If Ange Postecoglou’s side want to sign Gallagher in the next weeks, they may need to act quickly, as West Ham have already stolen a march by submitting a £40 million proposal.
Postecoglou has already strengthened his midfield with the signing of James Maddison from Leicester City, but the playmaking ace – who finished tenth in the division for chances created last season – could benefit from a relentless, “box-to-box” presence alongside him, as described by writer Zach Lowy.
With Maddison typically playing in a right-sided midfield berth – or on the flanks – during his time at Leicester, the Chelsea man is likely to slot in on the left of Postecoglou’s three-man midfield, allowing him to form an exciting partnership with wing wizard, Heung-min Son down that side.
The latter had a below-par season by his standards last season, scoring ‘just’ ten league goals after scoring 23 the previous season, but he could be rejuvenated by the change in management, having already been hailed as a “elite” talent by Postecoglou as a sign of the important role that he is set to play next term.
With the South Korean star obviously a real “goal threat,” according to his boss, the idea will be to keep the 31-year-old functioning at the top end of the pitch whenever possible, allowing Gallagher to put in the hard yards defensively.
Previously lauded as a “sensation” by Lowy during his loan stint at Selhurst Park in 2021/22, the Epsom-born ace is a truly relentless presence in the centre of the pitch, with Chelsea legend Pat Nevin having recently stated:
‘If you need someone to cover ground, move from box to box, make tackles, be a threat in the opposing box one minute and make fantastic defensive blocks in his own area the next, Conor is your man,’ says coach Mike Petke.
That ability to cover ground quickly should give Son the freedom to wreak havoc in the final third, while Gallagher could provide support to the long-serving Spurs ace when needed, with his desire to get forward demonstrated by his ranking in the top 3% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for attacking penalty area touches.
That all-action approach will not only benefit Postecoglou, but it may also allow Son to shine even brighter from the flanks next term.
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