Matthew Chadder

Thu 15 June 2023 10:10, UK

Football London have reported that Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is set to leave Stamford Bridge this season with Tottenham one of his potential destinations.

Head of Football Lee Wilmot’s report (14 June) states that Gallagher is on a list of potential targets identified by Ange Postecoglou as he looks to put his stamp on this Tottenham side. The club have become accustomed to a pragmatic style in recent seasons and the Australian’s arrival will offer a fresh attacking philosophy.

Therefore, some players will potentially need to be moved on and new faces will have to be brought in who Postecoglou identifies as suitable for his system. Gallagher could be one of those fresh faces.

Although the midfielder has struggled at Chelsea, the club has experienced a turbulent time and it is harsh to judge the player’s performances on this season alone, especially as he did so well the season prior on loan at Crystal Palace.

During his time with Palace, Gallagher scored eight goals and provided three assists from central midfield, something which is a key aspect of Postecoglou’s style.

The former Celtic boss prefers to operate with a midfield three which features attack-minded central midfielders, particularly an eight who can get forward and support the forward three. This is something, despite his struggles, Gallagher demonstrated in moments at Stamford Bridge last season.

As per FBREF, the 23-year-old made 3.28 touches in the opposition penalty area per 90, which put him in the top 11 per cent compared to his positional peers in the league, demonstrating his comfort in attacking areas.

He also received 5.77 progressive passes per 90 which put him in the top 12 per cent and suggests he would often find himself picking up the ball further forward.

Although he played the majority of his football at central midfield last season, with 12 of his appearances in the league coming in this position, he also made 10 appearances as an attacking midfielder, which showcases his versatility and adaptability across the midfield (transfermrkt).

Postecoglou likes a midfielder who will shoot and give the goalkeeper another threat to think about and Gallagher’s 0.61 shots on target per 90 from midfield, which places him in the 89th percentile, shows this is something he could bring to the team.

These numbers are a big upgrade on Tottenham’s current central midfield options when it comes to shots with Oliver Skipp only making 0.18 per 90 last season and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg making 0.26 per 90.

However, while the numbers suggest Gallagher could be a good option for Postecoglou’s new-look Tottenham midfield, fans are likely to have reservations due to his Chelsea connection.

Spurs paying for the midfielder and the move then not working out as anticipated would be double costly as they would have strengthened a direct rival. Gallagher is clearly talented, but his struggles at Chelsea and the club’s willingness to let him go perhaps suggest he is not ready for the step-up to a ‘top-six’ team.

It feels once again as if this is the cheap option for Daniel Levy and fans will hope a more ambitious target is identified with the transfer window now open.

In other Tottenham news, a deal for a new goalkeeper to replace Hugo Lloris could be edging closer.