The future of N'Golo Kante is set to be at the top of Chelsea's priority list once a new owner is elected. The 31-year-old midfielder will be into the final 12 months of his contract at Stamford Bridge when the summer rolls around.
There's no question about it: Kante is one of Chelsea's best-ever players. In his almost six-year tenure with the club, the Frenchman has won six major honours and he has had more than a part to play in all of those trophies.
Replacing Kante is something that can't really be done. He is truly a unique footballer, but Chelsea do have someone on the club's books that is due to come back at the end of the season.
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Conor Gallagher. The 22-year-old has enjoyed a superb season on loan at Crystal Palace - where he has scored eight goals and set up another three in 25 Premier League appearances.
Gallagher needed time to go out and express himself at the highest level, so moving to Palace, where he is working under Arsenal legend and Premier League-winning captain Patrick Vieira, was a no-brainer for Chelsea. It's a decision that has more than paid off for all three parties.
"It is too early to talk about that in public before we talk with Conor himself and what his goals are," Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel said on Gallagher's future in November. "This will happen in the summer as we all agreed to the decision that we wanted to send him to Palace.
"He saw a possibility for him. I am not surprised the national coach loves him because I loved him from day one. Humble, nice, smile on his face and all the time ready to give everything, want to learn and improve."
So, it's clear - the Chelsea manager is a huge fan of Gallagher and those comments from a few months ago all but confirm that the midfielder will be part of his plans next season. A decision over Kante's future could have a big part to play in this, though.
Kante has been linked with a move away from Chelsea in recent months due to his uncertain contract situation - with Paris Saint-Germain said to be keeping a close eye on the French midfielder. If they do come calling in the summer, with a typical PSG-type big-money offer, then it might be tricky for the Blues to turn down.
The former Leicester City star is now 31-years-old, and is thought to be one of the highest earners at the club. If Chelsea do indeed offer him new terms on a contract, then it is likely to be a short-term deal because of his age, and coming after two years that have seen him miss a fair bit of football due to injuries.
We've seen with Willian, to name one example, that players are sometimes not too keen on short-term deals and would rather move elsewhere to meet their demands for stability. Kante moving on could actually be good news for Gallagher.
That might sound bizarre, considering the impact Kante still has on the Chelsea midfield. But Gallagher would be in the Frenchman's shadow playing alongside him. On a selfish note, Gallagher may benefit from Kante departing the club.
As well as this, the Evening Standard recently reported that Tuchel sees Gallagher as the perfect cover for Kante next term. Gallagher, though, will be desperate to show he is more than a backup option and with the season he has had, who could deny him that opportunity?
