Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is interested in signing Conor Gallagher.
It is believed Chelsea need to sell a number of players this summer to meet Financial Fair Play (FFP) requirements. The Blues have invested more than £500million into the squad since Todd Boehly's consortium completed a takeover of the club last summer.
Graham Potter's side already have a number of central midfielders on their books - including Enzo Fernandez, N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Carney Chukwuemeka - and are willing to let Gallagher leave to free up some cash. That has put Liverpool boss Klopp, who is in need of a new central midfielder, on red alert.
As reported by The Independent, Klopp has identified Gallagher as a suitable candidate for his midfield. The German is said to be an admirer of the England international's energy and dynamism - something Liverpool's midfield has lacked this season.
The Reds have struggled to adhere to Klopp's pressing style-of-play due to their ageing midfield. Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho have all reached the latter stages of their careers, while James Milner and Naby Keita are out of contract in June.
It is unclear how much Chelsea would want for Gallagher, as he still has two years remaining on his existing deal. The midfielder has appeared in all but three of Chelsea's Premier League games this season - but just 10 of those outings have been starts.
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At 23, Gallagher will be determined to play more often in the near future. It will be difficult for him to achieve that at Chelsea considering their recent investment.
Gallagher told the BBC last summer, "I’ve been a Chelsea fan my whole life, my family have, it’s been a dream to play [for Chelsea] - but I want to try and impress, and play as much football as I can and affect the game when I’m on the pitch."
Gallagher's stock is high. He impressed during loan spells at Charlton, Swansea, West Brom and Crystal Palace before getting his break at Chelsea this season. He was even named as Palace's Player of the Year last term, such was his influence at Selhurst Park.
Gareth Southgate is also a big fan of Gallagher. The midfielder, who was part of England's U17 World Cup-winning squad in 2017, was named in Southgate's squad for the senior World Cup in Qatar and has made six senior appearances to date.
If Liverpool can land Gallagher on the cheap, it would be quite the coup for Klopp's side. The Reds have a knack of finding bargains - such as Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum, Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, Harvey Elliott, Fabio Carvalho, and Luis Diaz.
Furthermore, Gallagher is likely to cost much less than preferred central midfield target Jude Bellingham. The 19-year-old is set to command a fee in the region of £130million if he leaves Borussia Dortmund this summer. That might just be too much for the Reds.
