Chelsea to offer Conor Gallagher plus cash in deal to sign EURO 2024 hero
Chelsea added Marc Guiu, a product of the Barcelona academy, to their offensive options this summer.
To challenge Nicolas Jackson, their current first-choice striker, the team is keen to bring in more players.
This summer, the West London team has been connected to a number of players, including Jhon Duran, a 20-year-old attacker for Aston Villa.
But, Football Insider claims that Chelsea is currently considering a spectacular trade for Ollie Watkins, Duran’s Villa teammate.
According to the claim, Chelsea is willing to pay cash and midfielder Conor Gallagher in order to convince Watkins to leave Villa Park.
Gallagher, who is in the final year of his contract, has been speculated to leave Stamford Bridge, partly due to his status as an academy graduate.
Selling the 24-year-old would allow Chelsea to generate pure profit, aiding them in meeting the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.
Chelsea have already conducted business with Villa this summer, selling full-back Ian Maatsen and acquiring attacking midfielder Omari Kellyman.
Despite Villa’s interest in Gallagher, his addition alone is unlikely to persuade the club to part with their star striker.
Villa manager Unai Emery will be hesitant to lose Watkins ahead of the club’s eagerly anticipated Champions League campaign.
Watkins, under contract until June 2028, is expected to be vital to Villa’s ambitions in UEFA’s elite club competition.
Last season, the forward scored 19 goals in 37 Premier League matches, finishing as the league’s joint fourth-highest scorer.
Watkins recently made headlines by scoring a dramatic 90th-minute winner for England in their Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands.