Conor Gallagher reportedly does not want to join Aston Villa in the summer transfer window, dealing a blow to the West Midlands club’s prospects.
According to a report by Football Insider, Conor Gallagher is the subject of interest from Aston Villa. However, the West Midlands club will unlikely land the 24-year-old in the summer transfer window. The midfield mainstay wants to stay at Chelsea and does not want to entertain the idea of joining Aston Villa.
Conor Gallagher and his Chelsea redemption
Conor Gallagher has done well to establish himself as a mainstay in the middle of the park for Chelsea since returning from a loan spell at Crystal Palace. Like most academy graduates before him, the Englishman had to bide his time before managing a foothold in the first-team squad at Stamford Bridge.
That finally happened in the 2022/23 season, and Gallagher grew in stature in the 2023/24 campaign, donning the armband for Chelsea in most games. The 24-year-old contributed to 16 goals in 51 appearances across all competitions, finding the back of the net seven goals while providing nine assists.
However, Conor Gallagher’s long-term future at the West London club is uncertain as he will enter the final year of his contract on July 1. While the English international does not want to leave Chelsea, the Blues might have to cash in on him to comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules. Meanwhile, the situation has captured the attention of several well-known clubs, including Aston Villa.
Aston Villa interested
Aston Villa’s interest in Conor Gallagher is understandable. The Villans are in a spot of bother over the long-term future of Douglas Luiz, who might join Juventus in the summer transfer window. Like Chelsea, the Villans must abide by PSR to avoid sanctions. So, Luiz is Aston Villa’s cash cow for this summer.
Meanwhile, Gallagher has emerged as the viable option to replace Douglas Luiz in the Aston Villa midfield. However, a summer move will unlikely see the light of day, with the 24-year-old Chelsea mainstay not interested in leaving the West London club or joining Aston Villa.
The development deals a blow to Aston Villa’s prospects of landing the England international in the summer transfer window. It will be interesting to see who they turn to after Gallagher’s decision to potentially snub them.
