Chelsea could forget about Gallagher by signing £60m “monster”

Chelsea have yet to make a signing during the current January transfer window and with just a few weeks left until it closes until the summer, Mauricio Pochettino does not have much time left.

Since owner Todd Boehly stepped in and purchased the club in 2022, the Blues have spent over £1bn on players to no avail, having not won a trophy since 2021.

With this in mind, could the Argentinian lure another new player or two to Stamford Bridge this month? As the manager aims to bolster his squad ahead of trying to secure a place in the top half of the Premier League table.

Plenty of attackers have been linked with a move to London over the previous couple of weeks, yet Pochettino is showing interest in a current Premier League midfielder…

Chelsea transfer news – Amadou Onana

According to a report from iNews earlier this week, Chelsea are reportedly keen on signing Everton midfielder Amadou Onana, although they could face some serious competition for the Belgian.

Indeed, Arsenal are the club who have shown the most interest in the player recently, while Manchester United are also keeping tabs on the youngster as he is clearly a man in high demand.

The Toffees signed him in the summer of 2022 for a transfer fee in the region of £33m, yet they have placed a price tag of £60m on his head in order to scare off potential suitors.

The Blues appear to be well stocked in the heart of their midfield, being able to call upon the likes of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Roméo Lavia, and Lesley Ugochukwu as they are building a squad which they will hope can challenge the elite in the coming years.

One key omission from this midfield list is Conor Gallagher, as the Englishman has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge in recent weeks.

Chelsea transfer news – Conor Gallagher

The English midfielder has emerged as Spurs’ top target for the duration of the winter transfer window and Chelsea could demand a fee of around £45m which could rise to £60m and this would make Gallagher the most expensive signing in Spurrs’ history.

Journalist Ben Jacobs provided an update when speaking about the player to GIVEMESPORT, saying: “When people say that Chelsea would sell for the right price, that’s not Chelsea being desperate to force Gallagher out of the door.

“That’s saying if somebody comes in with a minimum guaranteed offer of £45million, and probably a total package of £55million or £60million, Chelsea would consider a sale. If that number is not hit, Gallagher will stay – in all likelihood – at Chelsea.

“I don’t see Spurs getting anywhere near that package because if £35million was their number at the back end of the last window, it’s hard to believe that they will jump up – particularly with the way that Daniel Levy does business – to £55million or £60million.”

It remains to be seen whether he will still be at the Blues come February, but if he does leave, Onana could be an ideal replacement for him.

Amadou Onana’s season in numbers

The 22-year-old enjoyed a solid debut campaign on Merseyside, but he has taken his performances to the next level in a much improved Everton side this season.

Indeed, the former Lille starlet currently ranks first among the squad for accurate passes per game (32.7) along with ranking third for big chances created (four), third for tackles per game (2.6) and third for accurate long balls per game (2.3) as he has showcased his skills across a range of metrics which have made him such a valuable asset in the heart of their midfield.

As a result of his displays, analyst Raj Chohan described the midfielder as a “monster duel winner” and his statistics this season have certainly backed this claim up.

He could be a perfect fit for the Blues should they act upon their initial interest and there is no doubt he would be able to fill the void left by Gallagher should he join Spurs.

Amadou Onana could replace Conor Gallagher

Both players have been impressive this season for their respective clubs as they look to escape from the bottom half of the Premier League table.

When comparing the duo, there isn’t much to separate them, especially when it comes to specific metrics.

Indeed, this season, Onana has registered 1.17 shots per 90, has an average pass success rate of 84%, won 25 tackles and succeeded with 53.8% of his attempted challenges in the league this season.

Gallagher, on the other hand, has registered 1.24 shots per 90, has an average pass success rate of 89.2%, won 31 tackles and succeeded with 51.2% of his attempted challenges, clearly indicating how impressive he has been across a range of different metrics this term, while even outperforming Onana in three of them.

The Belgian gem loses possession less frequently, however (7.8 times per game vs 9.2) than Gallagher, along with winning more total duels per match (seven vs 5.9) and being dribbled past less per game (0.8 vs 1.1) and these statistics clearly prove that Onana may be a much better option defensively for Chelsea.

While the club have players such as Caicedo and Lavia in order to focus on the defensive side of the game, moving on Gallagher could leave open a space for Onana, who does occasionally demonstrate some attacking traits.

A move for the former Lille midfielder may not occur this month, yet if other suitors don’t make their move during the summer, Pochettino could be ready to make his swoop.

Depending on how the second half of the season goes, Onana’s valuation may rise during the next three or four months and this could potentially impact whether the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United will make a concrete effort to sign him.

Chelsea, of course, have shown a desire to spend big in the past and this could become the case once again in the summer as they seek continued improvement in their squad.