Crystal Palace are weighing up a move to sign Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher while Jose Mourinho faces a stumbling block in his pursuit of Granit Xhaka.
According to The Sun, Crystal Palace are ready to step up their pursuit of Conor Gallagher. The Chelsea starlet has emerged as an ideal option for the Londoners, who are weighing up a bid of around £15 million to secure his services.
A product of the Chelsea youth academy, Gallagher did extremely well during his season-long loan spell at West Bromwich Albion this past season. He became a key first-team member for the Baggies, notching up 30 Premier League appearances, although he was not able to save the club from relegation.
Gallagher, nevertheless, is returning to Chelsea with high hopes and expectations. His desire is to remain at Stamford Bridge and impress Thomas Tuchel, who is expected to offload multiple midfielders, including the likes of Tiemoue Bakayoko and Ross Barkley.
Even Billy Gilmour has been linked with a loan move. It should ideally pave the way for Gallagher to make some noise in the first-team. On the flip side, though, Chelsea have also appeared keen on reinforcements from the market.
The Blues have most recently been linked with a move for Orkun Kokcu, so it won’t be surprising to see the club cashing in on Gallagher, especially in this difficult financial climate. And if former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is appointed as the new Crystal Palace manager, it will hardly be surprising to see Gallagher make the cross-London switch.
Arsenal reject third bid for Granit Xhaka
While Gallagher’s move to Crystal Palace might be sanctioned, AS Roma have faced another stumbling block in their pursuit of Granit Xhaka. As per reports from Roma Press, Arsenal have rejected the Giallorossi‘s third bid for the midfielder and the second in which they have improved from their initial offer.
A part of Arsenal since 2016, Xhaka is reportedly a top target for newly-appointed Roma head coach Jose Mourinho. Unfortunately for the former Tottenham boss, his club is suffering from a financial crisis that will force them to offload a few star players in the summer.
As a matter of fact, Liverpool are already eyeing a move for Roma’s playmaking wizard Lorenzo Pellegrini while Arsenal themselves have been linked with a move for Gonzalo Villar.
It is hardly surprising as Mikel Arteta does intend to improve the overall quality of his midfield. The Arsenal manager also lacks depth following the return of both Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard to Real Madrid while Matteo Guendouzi has reportedly agreed personal terms with Marseille.
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Xhaka’s departure could further leave Arteta devoid of options, so it won’t be surprising to see Gunners holding out for their desired price until they find an ideal replacement.
Donny van de Beek has been the latest midfielder to be linked with a move to the Emirates in the summer, although the Manchester United star is likely being scouted as a potential alternative for Odegaard, in the number ten role. As for Xhaka, it remains to be seen if Roma are ready to meet Arsenal’s valuation to land Xhaka.
