Newcastle United will reportedly not be likely to land a late January transfer deal for reported target Conor Gallagher according to Craig Hope.
The Tyneside club had apparently enquired to Chelsea in recent days about potentially signing the midfielder on loan.
However, with the January window set to close later tonight, some important details have emerged regarding the Englishman and a potential move away from Stamford Bridge.
In a recent Twitter post, Hope had this to say on the situation surrounding Gallagher:
“We’re told Conor Gallagher won’t be allowed to join rivals such as Newcastle & Manchester Utd on loan. A loan is still possible, & it could be that Crystal Palace come back into the reckoning, if the midfielder is told he can leave Chelsea.”
This season has seen the 22-year-old make 25 appearances for Graham Potter’s side across all competitions but only start 11 of them, which suggests that he is not at the top of the pecking order in terms of being a consistent starter.
Despite this, the Englishman, who has been hailed for his “outrageous” attacking play in the past by Dan Cook, has still shown how much of a capable midfielder he is on and off the ball.
For example, across his 18 league appearances, Gallagher has racked up the fourth-highest number of key passes (15) at Chelsea as well as the second-highest number of successful tackles (19).
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Bearing in mind how Eddie Howe’s side are currently 10 points and seven places above Chelsea in the Premier League table, it’s understandable why the west London club wouldn’t want to strengthen a side that are already in a better position than them.
It has since emerged that Gallagher is indeed likely to stay at Chelsea barring a ‘late twist’, according to The Athletic.
Therefore, if a deal for Gallagher is indeed unlikely for the Magpies to secure, if Howe wants to add a new midfielder to his squad before tonight’s deadline, the best thing they can do is forget about the Chelsea figure and look at other potential options.