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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Tom Blow

Chelsea targeted by Borussia Dortmund as Jude Bellingham 'replacement' identified

Borussia Dortmund are interested in signing Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.

Dortmund are on the hunt for a new central midfielder after selling Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid for £88milllion. It will be difficult for the Germans to replace the 19-year-old, who is widely regarded as one of the best young footballers in Europe.

Gallagher, 23, has established himself as a senior England international and was included in Gareth Southgate's squad for last year's World Cup in Qatar. It's believed Chelsea will listen to offers for their academy graduate in a bid to balance the books.

The Blues have been the biggest spenders in Europe since Todd Boehly's consortium completed a takeover a year ago. They already have a number of midfielders at their disposal, including Enzo Fernandez, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Carney Chukwuemeka.

Chelsea are expected to sell several players this summer to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules. Kai Havertz is set to complete a £65m transfer to Arsenal over the coming days, while Manchester United are hoping to sign Mason Mount.

Dortmund could also take advantage of the exodus at Stamford Bridge. As reported by CaughtOffside, the Bundesliga side are keen on Gallagher and admire his ability to play as a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box midfielder or an attacking midfielder.

Conor Gallagher is wanted by Borussia Dortmund (Getty Images)

Do you think Conor Gallagher should leave Chelsea? Let us know in the comments below!

Gallagher is rated at £50m and has two years left on his contract. Tottenham, Newcastle and Liverpool have all been linked with the midfielder over the past few months, while Everton were after his signature in January. He decided to stay at Stamford Bridge.

Gallagher was asked about his future during England's Euro 2024 qualifiers earlier this month. The in demand star insisted he was happy at Stamford Bridge but admitted his disappointment at finishing 12th in the Premier League last season.

Gallagher told Sky Sports: "I'm a Chelsea player and I love Chelsea. It's been a really tough season for me and the whole team and the whole club at Chelsea, so I think we'll just be working as hard as we can to try to get Chelsea back to where they belong."

The midfielder made a name for himself by completing loan spells with Charlton, Swansea, West Brom and Crystal Palace. He was particularly impressive during his time at Selhurst Park, where he won Palace's Player of the Year award.

Gallagher was part of the England squad that won the U17 World Cup in India six years ago. He came off the bench during the 5-2 victory against Spain in the final.

Dortmund blew the chance to win a first Bundesliga title in 11 years last month by drawing at home to Mainz on the final day of the season. That result allowed Bayern Munich to swoop in and ensure Bellingham's last game in Germany ended in disappointment.

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