Newcastle United are reportedly weighing up a move for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher in this January transfer window.
The Toon Army are still flying high in the Premier League and have one eye on a potential trip to Wembley having made the last four of the Carabao Cup. A couple of signings before the end of the month would go a long way to keeping alive lofty hopes of securing Champions League football this season.
According to the Telegraph, Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe is interested in recruiting Conor Gallagher from Chelsea as he wants to bolster his midfield unit. The club has alternative targets lined up in the form of Manchester United’s Scott McTominay and Wolves’ Ruben Neves.
Gallagher, 22, has operated in different positions across the midfield since he returned back to Chelsea last summer from a successful loan spell with Crystal Palace. He may have made 17 Premier League appearances this season so far but has lacked continuity in his natural position—middle of the park. And the Englishman may go further down the pecking order soon as Graham Potter seeks midfield reinforcements.
Conor Gallagher to Newcastle United—Should Eddie Howe go for him?
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is sweating on Bruno Guimaraes’ fitness after the midfielder picked up an injury in their 1-0 win over Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday. The Brazilian suffered an ankle injury in the 20th minute and didn’t emerge for the second half, which has left Howe worried.
Bruno Guimaraes has been the beating heart of this Newcastle side and his injury comes at a very bad time for the club. With the player set to be sidelined for a few weeks at least, and with the Magpies lacking quality depth in his position, Howe is right to target midfield reinforcements in this transfer window.
Conor Gallagher, in that regard, could be a good fit for Newcastle. Gallagher excelled on loan at Crystal Palace last season, where he registered eight goals and three assists in 34 league outings. Back at Chelsea, the midfielder, however, has failed to reproduce the same kind of form this season and continues to be in and out of Graham Potter’s team.
Nonetheless, the 22-year-old could be a shrewd acquisition for Newcastle as Eddie Howe continues to build an exciting squad at St James’ Park, whereas Chelsea now are in transition under the new manager and new owners. With Bruno injured, Jonjo Shelvey yet to recover from his injury and Sean Longstaff blowing hot and cold, it surely certainly sense for Newcastle to be targeting someone like Gallagher to freshen up Howe’s midfield options.
However, with Chelsea struggling for form and 10 points adrift of fourth-place Man United, they may not prefer to strengthen a team like Newcastle gunning for Champions League spots this season. But if Gallagher decides to move away from the club for regular game time, Chelsea’s stance may change.
