Chelsea 'hold talks' with Premier League rivals over Conor Gallagher transfer

Chelsea have held talks with Aston Villa over a deal to sell midfielder Conor Gallagher, a report has revealed.

Gallagher is available for transfer this summer as he enters the final 12 months of his contract, with Chelsea's decision-makers keen to capitalise on the profit that comes from selling academy graduates.

Tottenham Hotspur are long-term admirers of Gallagher, who they tried to sign last summer, but The Athletic note that Villa have made the first move to try and sign the 24-year-old.

Villa have spoken with both Chelsea and Gallagher's representatives as they seek to bolster Unai Emery's squad ahead of their maiden Champions League voyage next season, with the Villa boss a known admirer of Gallagher.

Gallagher recently stressed his excitement towards Chelsea's future under Enzo Maresca but, with no progress over a possible contract extension at Stamford Bridge, Blues officials are keen to cash in on the England international while they still can.

Chelsea are said to have a strong relationship with Villa, stemming from their acquisition of midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka in the summer of 2022. The 20-year-old was signed for £20m in a deal which remained largely unknown until it was announced - a rarity in the modern game.

Even if talks over Gallagher go nowhere, Chelsea could still end up doing business with Villa once again this summer as Colombian striker Jhon Duran is on the Blues' radar.

Chelsea were interested in Duran in January and retain their admiration of the 20-year-old, who netted eight goals across 37 appearances, ten of which were starts, last season.

READ THE LATEST CHELSEA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP