Everton are reportedly eyeing a double raid on Chelsea for the signing of young midfielders Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour in the summer.
According to a report from Calciomercato, Chelsea midfield duo Billy Gilmour and Conor Gallagher have emerged as transfer targets for fellow Premier League side Everton in the summer.
Gallagher and Gilmour are both products of the Chelsea youth setup and have shown immense promise in their fledgeling careers. Gallagher has been with the Blues for over a decade, having joined the club in 2008. The midfielder has had impressive loan spells away at Charlton Athletic, Swansea City, West Bromwich Albion and most recently, Crystal Palace, where he proved his Premier League credentials.
The 22-year-old enjoyed a brilliant 2021/22 campaign for Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace side, producing a return of eight goals and five assists from 39 matches. Gallagher has even broken into the England national team, but it is unclear whether he will have a place in the Chelsea midfield unit for the upcoming season due to intense competition.
As for Gilmour, he started at the academy of Scottish giants Rangers before joining Chelsea’s youth setup in 2017. The 20-year-old midfielder made his first-team breakthrough in 2020 under then-manager Frank Lampard and has made 22 senior appearances for the club. He spent the last season away on loan at Norwich City and featured 28 times as the Canaries ended up getting relegated.
Like Gallagher, Gilmour is also not guaranteed a place in the Chelsea squad for next season, considering the number of players ahead of him in the pecking order. And Everton are hoping to capitalise on the situation by making a move for the Blues’ midfield duo in the upcoming transfer window.
Lampard, who knows both the players well from his days as Chelsea manager, wants the young pair at Goodison Park. A move would make sense as well, considering the dearth of quality in the midfield department. Andre Gomes is likely to be sold this summer, while Tom Davies has struggled with injuries. With Dele Alli struggling to perform, someone like Gallagher can be a key signing.
The same holds for Gilmour as well, as Everton are likely to lose the defensive midfield duo of Allan and Fabian Delph this summer. The 20-year-old enjoyed a promising run under Lampard at Chelsea and could replicate that success in Merseyside with the Toffees.
However, Gallagher is attracting interest from several other clubs, including Crystal Palace, while Gilmour is also likely to have other suitors if he decides to move. So, it will be interesting to see where the young Chelsea duo end up next season.
