Chelsea face the prospect of having to accept a relative bargain bid from Tottenham for midfielder Conor Gallagher amid concerns about meeting Premier League financial rules.
The English top flight’s profit and sustainability regulations have been a constant talking point this season, and Chelsea’s hefty pre-tax loss of £271.5m over the past three seasons’ worth of accounts could put them at risk of running afoul of the kind of sanctions Nottingham Forest and Everton have been investigated for in recent months.
Changes to those financial regulations are in the works and could get Chelsea off the hook, but they are nonetheless reported to be keen to offload players this summer to help get partway to offsetting their rather lavish transfer spending in recent years.
Premier League financial rules could force Chelsea's hand on Conor Gallagher transfer
From an accounting perspective, selling academy graduates would be the most productive way to boost their profit numbers, as no amount would be deducted from their net transfer value as it would be with players who arrived at the club for a transfer fee.
That puts Gallagher in the frame as a potential departee. A product of Chelsea’s youth system, the England international cut his teeth out on loan at Charlton, Swansea, West Brom and Crystal Palace before establishing himself as a first-team regular at Stamford Bridge last season.
His good form this season has earned Gallagher praise even as Mauricio Pochettino’s side as a whole have laboured to another season in mid-table.
However, capital letter fans GIVEMESPORT claim that Chelsea have struggled to find suitors who would be willing to part with quite the substantial wedge of cash they would ideally like to receive for Gallagher’s services.
The Blues were reported to be holding out for a bid of £50m+ for Gallagher in the January transfer window, but that valuation went unmet despite claims that Tottenham Hotspur were keen to take him across London.
The report adds that Chelsea are now concerned they may end up having to accept a £30m bid from their local and divisional rivals this summer – particularly with Gallagher set to go out of contract next summer.
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