Barcelona have reportedly set their sights on English midfielder Conor Gallagher, who is currently out on loan from Chelsea at Crystal Palace.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Conor Gallagher has popped up on the radar of Barcelona over a potential move in a future transfer window. The 21-year-old Chelsea loanee is currently being closely monitored when on show for Crystal Palace.
Conor Gallagher joined the famed Chelsea academy from Epsom Eagles aged eight before making rapid progress through the ranks in the Blues’ youth setup. However, he is yet to make his first-team debut for Chelsea, instead impressing on loan spells away from Stamford Bridge. And after making his mark at West Bromwich Albion last season, the Englishman is now at Crystal Palace.
The 21-year-old has started the 2021/22 season strongly, quickly establishing himself as a key player for the Eagles, with two goals and an assist to show for his efforts in five outings. His exploits do not seem to be going unnoticed, as Barcelona have now turned their attention towards the Chelsea loanee in their search for a midfielder.
Barcelona are currently scouring the market for a midfielder after allowing Miralem Pjanic (on loan) and Ilaix Moriba to depart in the summer transfer window without really bringing in anyone to replace them. So, while Sergi Roberto will be used extensively in midfield this season, Ronald Koeman is still short of options.
That means that the first-choice trio of Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong and Pedri will once again be shouldering pretty much all of the responsibility in the middle of the park for Barcelona. As a result, it hardly comes as a surprise that they have been linked with Paul Pogba, Dani Olmo and Lorenzo Pellegrini, among others, in recent times.
To that end, Gallagher is a viable target as well, with the English midfielder possibly being a long-term asset for Barcelona. However, convincing Chelsea to part ways with the 21-year-old might be a tall order for the Blaugrana, with the report suggesting that he is rated quite highly by Thomas Tuchel.
Also Read: Barcelona Summer Transfer Window Verdict 2021/22
What now remains to be seen is if Barcelona can do anything to convince Chelsea to cash in on Gallagher whenever they do make a move for him. What will also be interesting to see if Barcelona launch the offensive at all for the youngster after having him scouted this season.
