Newcastle could face one big hurdle in their pursuit of Chelsea midfielder

Newcastle express interest in signing Conor Gallagher

David Ornstein via The Athletic (Subscription Required) claims that the injuries for Newcastle United will force their hands to look for players in the upcoming January transfer window, and they targeted Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher as a potential addition.

The Magpies are looking to add steal to their midfield and are interested in signing Kalvin Phillips and Blues captain Gallagher, but the 23-year-old elevated price tag could see the interest cool down.

The Blues are open to selling the midfielder to fund the signing of other players in January. Gallagher has 18 months left on his contract, and talks for a new deal have yet to start.

The Blues were willing to sell the midfielder during the recent summer window, but the midfielder’s reluctance saw him remain at the club, where he has become an indispensable player under Mauricio Pochettino.

The 23-year-old has participated in all matches, only missing a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United, and has four assists to his name. Selling Gallagher will be a regretful decision because he has turned himself into a key player for us.

Even Mauricio Pochettino publicly backed Gallagher is most important to him, and he hopes to keep him at the club. Whether the Blues will eventually opt to do so or cash in should a good offer arrive remains to be seen.

Chelsea should reconsider their decision to sell Gallagher.

The fact that Gallagher is the only midfielder in Europe’s top seven leagues to have won possession in the final third on more occasions than anyone else this season (23), combined with his other season statistics, speaks volumes about how much the player has improved. In all, just three players in the Premier League have won more possessions (106).

This season, he is second only to Rodri among the top midfielders in the Premier League in terms of winning back the ball in the final third of the pitch. He is in front of players like Yves Bissouma, Declan Rice, and Amadou Onana.

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The best way to show how a player has evolved from the previous season is through statistics, and Gallagher’s new figure suggests he has a high ceiling that he will eventually attain if he keeps getting better every game. He is now our most valuable midfield player and Chelsea will subsequently regret selling him.