Tottenham Hotspur are set to miss out on Conor Gallagher following the midfielder’s decision to stay and fight for his position at Chelsea, according to Football Insider.
Spurs have been heavily linked with a move for the 23-year-old all summer, with Ange Postecoglou identifying Gallagher as a key target as he continues to revamp his squad.
However, the report claims that despite Chelsea’s willingness to do business with Tottenham, Gallagher is set to reject a possible move to Spurs as he wants to stay and fight for his place at Stamford Bridge.
Gallagher has made an impressive start to the new season following his outstanding displays in the middle of the park. He’s featured in all of Chelsea’s three league games and lasted the entire duration of their 2-0 win over Luton Town on Friday night.
The England international also shined for Mauricio Pochettino’s side in pre-season and is looking to nail down a permanent spot in midfield despite the West Londoners bringing in Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
Last season, he was a regular under both Graham Potter and Frank Lampard as he featured in 45 games and made four goal contributions in all competitions for the Blues.
Tottenham are not the only club who’ve shown an interest in signing Gallagher. West Ham had a bid worth £40m for the player rejected by Chelsea earlier in the summer. The Blues reportedly value the midfielder at £50m.
Alternative signing
Gallagher’s decision to stay at Chelsea means Tottenham will have to rethink their transfer plans. Postecoglou wanted Gallagher to replace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg but won’t allow the Danish international to complete a proposed move to Atletico Madrid until a replacement is signed.
Now that Spurs have missed out on Gallagher, Postecoglou will either have to turn to an alternative target or keep hold of Hojbjerg. The 27-year-old has featured regularly since moving to Tottenham from Southampton.
However, this season, Hojbjerg has started the first three league games on the bench with Postecoglou preferring Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr ahead of him. He could leave before the window closes, therefore, there will be the need for Spurs to add another midfielder to their squad.
The Australian boss wants a strong squad with two players in each position, so he cannot afford to be left light in the middle of the park.
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