Tottenham Hotspur have suffered a blow in their pursuit of the Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.
A report from Football Insider claims that their January move for the 23-year-old midfielder has collapsed. Chelsea want to hold onto the England international until the end of the season and Tottenham will look to resume a move for him in the summer.
The report states that Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is very keen on signing him and it remains to be seen whether Spurs can get a deal done at the end of the season.
Chelsea will reportedly hold out for a substantial amount of money for their academy graduate so that they can bring in their own signings and adhere to the financial fair play regulations.
Tottenham need more depth and quality in the middle of the park and Gallagher would be the ideal fit for them. He will add energy, pressing ability and defensive cover to the side. His qualities would make him a tailor-made option for Postecoglou’s high intensity, attacking style of football.
It is fair to assume that Tottenham will have to secure Champions League qualification in order to attract players of his calibre. Also, they are unlikely to be able to afford a substantial fee for Gallagher without a top-four finish.
It will be interesting to see how the situation unfolds during the summer transfer window.
There have been rumours of a potential contract extension at Stanford bridge, but the £50k-a-week star has not been able to secure an agreement with Chelsea yet.
