Chelsea's plans for Conor Gallagher after transfer valuation revealed

Chelsea are currently planning to keep hold of Conor Gallagher but will listen to offers that total £60m, 90min understands.

Gallagher's contract at Stamford Bridge expires in the summer of 2025 and talks over a new deal have yet to progress.

Sources have confirmed to 90min that as part of club policy, Chelsea will consider bids for the midfielder as he is in the final 18 months of his contract and they do not want to risk losing him on a cut-price deal or for free. This was also the same approach used for Mason Mount, who ended up being sold to Manchester United.

Chelsea would listen to offers of £45m up front as part of a total package between £55m and £60m. This price is currently proving prohibitive to interested sides like Tottenham Hotspur, who were put off Gallagher in the summer having learned a planned £35m offer would have fallen well short of the Blues' valuation. Contrary to reports across Europe, Spurs are not currently in talks with Chelsea about a January deal for Gallagher.

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino wants Gallagher to stay for several reasons. The England international has been one of Chelsea's best performers all season and has captained his boyhood side 13 times in the absence of Reece James and Ben Chilwell.

When Pochettino signed for Chelsea in May 2023 on an initial two-year contract with the option for a third, there was an agreement that there would be an appraisal the following summer. This was pre-planned to look back on the season and is a sign of the owners wanting to reserve judgement on their manager as the project, an initial four-window plan taking us to summer 2024, evolves. The Blues currently sit tenth in the Premier League table and the Argentine knows keeping Gallagher would be better for his and Chelsea's short-term prospects.

Despite reports that Pochettino's role in Chelsea's transfer setup now has more prominence, sources have told 90min this is not the case. Pochettino forms part of a recruitment team led by sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stuart, with co-director of recruitment and talent Joe Shields also important. Co-owner Behdad Eghbali also plays a crucial role and chairman Todd Boehly is still involved but less so perhaps than previous windows.

Crucially, Pochettino has significant input, but does not necessarily get a veto on incomings or outgoings and would be powerless if the rest of the recruitment team opted to sell Gallagher because it made financial sense.

Gallagher's preference would be to stay at Chelsea, and this remains the most likely scenario in January, and he could ultimately disrupt any transfer. A similar situation occurred in the summer when the Blues accepted an offer from Burnley to take Ian Maatsen on loan with an obligatory £31.5m purchase clause, but the left-back turned down the move.

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