Pochettino could land Chelsea instant Gallagher replacement in £80m “genius”
It has been a tough watch for Chelsea fans this season, as their expensively assembled side struggle to remain in the top half of the Premier League and look set to miss out on Champions League football for the second year running.
Mauricio Pochettino has not been able to steady the ship since his arrival in the summer, and in the process, his place in the dugout is starting to look more and more precarious.
What is sure to infuriate fans further is the news that the club are considering selling Conor Gallagher this month to help balance the books, despite the young Englishman arguably being the team’s “best player” in 2023/24 – as described by pundit Jamie Carragher.
However, there could yet be a light at the end of this tunnel, as one of the players touted for a move to Stanford Bridge could be the perfect replacement for Gallagher: Inter Milan’s Nicolò Barella.
Chelsea transfer news – Nicolò Barella
According to reports from Spain (via TEAMtalk), Chelsea are among several Premier League sides interested in signing the Inter star this year in a deal that would surely soften the blow of losing Gallagher.
The other sides interested in the Italian midfielder are title-chasing Liverpool and top-four competitors Newcastle United.
The 26-year-old was named Serie A’s best midfielder last season, and with his deal at the San Siro set to expire in 2026, this month could be the perfect time to strike with an appealing offer.
However, Todd Boehly and Co will have to once more dip into their cavernous pockets if they want to get this deal done, as the report has revealed that Inter values their star player in the £70m-£80m price range – although, with Chelsea’s recent spending habits, that’s practically pocket money.
Nicolò Barella could be the perfect Conor Gallagher replacement
For as good as Gallagher has been this season, and he has been remarkable given the context, Barella would be a massive upgrade on the 23-year-old in almost every way and, with both playing in similar positions for their respective sides, Pochettino could swap one in for the other.
The Italian has played all 19 league games in central midfield this season, while the Englishman has played 12 of his 19 games in the same position.
The first area in which the former Cagliari ace has his contemporary beat this season is pure output, as in his 19 league games thus far, he has scored two goals and provided four assists. At the same time, Gallagher has failed to score a single goal in his 19 league outings, but he has registered four assists.
When comparing the pairs’ underlying numbers, things do not look much better for the Chelsea man.
The Italian “genius”, as described by journalist Mike Piellucci, is miles ahead of the boyhood Chelsea fan when it comes to progressive passes and carries and has him comfortably beaten when it comes to being a goal threat himself.
The only area where the all-action Chelsea man comes out on top is in passing accuracy and ball recoveries. Still, with Moises Caicedo in the side and Romeo Lavia returning, it’s unlikely that Barella would be too burdened with defensive responsibilities were he given a role in Pochettino’s XI.
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