Aston Villa Opens Talks with Chelsea for Conor Gallagher: Unai Emery’s £50m Midfield Target

Aston Villa has initiated talks with Chelsea for Conor Gallagher. Manager Unai Emery is eager to secure the £50 million-rated England midfielder. He is pushing for a swift agreement to land one of his main summer targets.

Tottenham also has an interest in Gallagher, who has a year left on his contract. The 24-year-old’s value could rise if he performs well at Euro 2024.

Chelsea is open to bids for Gallagher, though he is not in a rush to leave. Contract talks have stalled, and Chelsea wants to avoid losing him on a free transfer next year.

Selling Gallagher could help Chelsea with Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations. Funds from his sale would be pure profit since he is an academy product.

Aston Villa needs to strengthen their squad for the Champions League. It is uncertain if they can meet the £50 million price. Villa might need to sell players to fund the purchase. They could include Jhon Durán in the deal to entice Chelsea. Chelsea has been interested in the 20-year-old Colombian striker since January.

Emery values Gallagher’s energy and is determined to persuade him to join Villa. However, from Chelsea’s perspective, selling Gallagher would be risky. He is a fan favorite, and his departure could be followed by another homegrown player, Trevoh Chalobah, who is a target for Manchester United.

Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s new head coach, might need to prepare for Gallagher and Chalobah’s potential exits. Former head coach Mauricio Pochettino wanted to keep both players.

Chelsea is exploring other options and plans to sign Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer. Their next significant move will likely be acquiring a striker to compete with Nicolas Jackson. Chelsea continues to monitor RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko, who is also a target for Arsenal.