Everton are reportedly keeping a close eye on Conor Gallagher and have registered their interest in a £30 million permanent deal for the Chelsea midfielder.
A fresh report from Football Insider has offered an intriguing update on Everton’s long-running pursuit of Chelsea playmaker Conor Gallagher. Everton have now made an approach to try and sign the 22-year-old England international ahead of the 2022/23 season.
The young Chelsea midfielder spent the 2021/22 season on loan at Crystal Palace and was one of the Premier League’s rising stars as he enjoyed a fine spell, scoring eight goals from 34 top-flight appearances, helping Palace to a comfortable 12th-place finish.
That form drew the attention of England head coach, Gareth Southgate, and Gallagher is now firmly in contention for a spot on the plane to Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. However, he has a decision to make on his immediate future now that he has returned to Chelsea, where he faces competition in a crowded midfield group.
As such, Chelsea boss, Thomas Tuchel, is thought to be a big admirer of his talent, but there remain doubts over whether he is capable enough to replace the likes of N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic in midfield just yet. With that in mind, Gallagher could consider a move away from Stamford Bridge.
Football Insider reports that Everton are still interested in Gallagher and have enquired with Chelsea about the feasibility of a permanent deal for the 22-year-old, who has three years left on his deal.
Frank Lampard spent most of his career at Chelsea and is now trying to utilise his connections to try to lure players to Goodison Park. Everton are in the market to overhaul the majority of their squad after a terrible season in which they narrowly avoided relegation. However, they have only brought defender James Tarkowski through the door thus far, and that too was a Bosman deal.
One of the areas Lampard is particularly keen to strengthen is the midfield, especially after releasing Fabian Delph, Gylfi Sigurdsson. In addition, Donny van de Beek has returned to Manchester United. As such, Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White was recently the subject of a £25 million bid, with the Everton chiefs planning to make an improved bid.
However, it appears the Toffees have decided to scour other avenues before doing that, with Lampard looking for an energetic and dynamic midfielder to add to his midfield roster. Gallagher fits the profile of player that Lampard wants, and is more established than Gibbs-White, having demonstrated the consistency and quality required to perform at the top level.
Lampard is said to be a big fan of the youngster and has made him a top target for Everton, with the Toffees hierarchy even willing to spend over £30 million if Chelsea are prepared to sell. It remains to be seen whether Everton can get their hands on the Englishman this summer amidst stiff competition from other Premier League clubs.
