Tottenham to submit superior Chelsea offer as Levy, Postecoglou refuse to let perfect signing go
Tottenham are refusing to yield in their quest to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher and are prepared to blow Atletico Madrid away with a more lucrative bid.
Gallagher, 24, is a man in demand this summer, though not at Chelsea. The all-action midfielder was a favourite of former boss Mauricio Pochettino. However, once the Argentine was replaced by Enzo Maresca, talk of a summer exit quickly ramped up.
Gallagher has entered the final year of his Blues contract and with no progress made on an extension, Chelsea are open to cashing in while they still can.
Study Hard, Play Harder. 25% off Nike with Back to Sport Savings!
Despite his contract status, Chelsea have set their stall out at a hefty £40m. LaLiga giants Atletico Madrid have already seen a £30m bid rejected earlier this summer and Diego Simeone’s side have re-entered direct talks with Chelsea.
However, according to a fresh update from Sky Sports, a significant valuation gap still exists.
The inference there is Atletico are still unwilling to match Chelsea’s £40m price tag and are only prepared to offer a small increase on the £30m they previously put on the table.
Atletico’s reluctance to pay full price and wrap up a deal with all haste could cost the club dearly.
TEAMtalk learned one week ago that Tottenham still retain interest in Gallagher despite signing Archie Gray from Leeds United.
Spurs’ interest in Gallagher is long-standing, with manager Ange Postecoglou in particular believed to be a huge admirer of Gallagher’s energy and ability to impact the game from both a defensive and offensive standpoint.
In fact, Gallagher was widely reported to be Postecoglou’s primary midfield target ahead of the summer window opening its doors and long before they moved for Gray.
Tottenham prepare £35m Conor Gallagher bid
Per Sky, Tottenham are unwilling to take no for an answer and are now ‘expected to make an offer for Gallagher.’
Furthermore, the player is due to return from his post-Euro 2024 holiday soon, meaning updates on the player’s future will come thick and fast.
TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Fraser Gillan, has learned Tottenham are prepared to submit a bid worth £35m.
£35m would not meet Chelsea’s top-end valuation, though it would put them closer to the £40m figure when compared to Atletico.
Whether it will be enough to seal a deal remains to be seen. Whether Gallagher is open to joining Spurs is also not yet clear. Gallagher is a boyhood Chelsea fan and if given his way, would stay at Stamford Bridge for the long haul.
Nevertheless, with his playing style not blending well with Maresca’s possession-based gameplan, the Blues are prepared to make the decision on Gallagher’s behalf.
Chelsea have already signed Gallagher’s would-be replacement in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall who Maresca knows from their time at Leicester.
Given Gallagher’s status as a homegrown player, the proceeds from a sale would represent pure profit on Chelsea’s books.
A lucrative sale over the coming days could be timely for Chelsea who are ramping up their efforts to sign Napoli hotshot, Victor Osimhen.
Another way the Blues could make an Osimhen deal work is via the loan route, which Napoli appear to be warming to…