To retain Conor Gallagher at Stamford Bridge, Mauricio Pochettino has urged Chelsea’s board to take action.
Gallagher may depart Chelsea this summer; it is rumoured that the club’s owners are considering selling the England midfield player.
With his contract at the club entering its last year, the midfield player is a hot topic of conversation heading into the summer.
The Chelsea management may find it enticing to sell Gallagher given the requirement to balance the finances.
Pochettino has now made an effort to step in. The Argentine has insisted on a resolution about the matter being made as quickly as possible.
Before Chelsea’s 2-0 derby victory over rival Tottenham, Chelsea supporters showed their support for the 24-year-old homegrown player Gallagher by raising a banner in his honour.
In a direct appeal to the Chelsea management to keep their home favourite in west London, the Shed End Tifo said, “Conor Gallagher, Chelsea since birth.”
The midfielder has made 46 appearances in all competitions this season, making him one of Chelsea’s top players on the pitch.
On Thursday night, Chelsea defeated Tottenham 2-0, with Trevoh Chalobah scoring the game’s first goal thanks to an assist from him.
Pochettino said after the match, as reported by the Mirror:
“I am not involved, I know nothing, I cannot tell you. I think you can see in my starting XI I think, the whole season, was strong with him.
“He’s an important player of course. But I’m not involved in the decision, it’s the club and Conor. I’m not involved, that’s a situation that they need to fix between the club and the player.”
Spurs may not play in the Champions League next season as a result of Chelsea’s Premier League double against them, led by Trevoh Chalobah and Nicolas Jackson.
But the Blues’ dominant performance and outcome increased their own prospects of qualifying for Europe the following season.
Graduates of the academy, such as Gallagher and Chalobah, relished the opportunity to secure the Blues’ bragging rights in the derby atmosphere.
Pochettino reserved special praise for both the players:
“They were fantastic of course, and we always talk about the identity of the club,” he added.
“With players that grow and come through the academy system, they have the capacity in this type of game to give a little bit more because it’s emotional. But that doesn’t mean that players that didn’t go through the academy system don’t feel the same.
“You can still build this same bond with your team. The whole team was fantastic, but of course Trevoh and Conor were fantastic within that.”
Gallagher knows what it means to play for Chelsea
The Blues may still be thinking about selling their captain in the summer even though there is no doubt about the fact that he is one of their important players.
His form this season has been brilliant for the Stamford Bridge outfit and in a season when most Chelsea players have struggled to perform, he has kept up his level of performances.