“Too much load on him”, “He can’t solve Chelsea problem”: Jamie Carragher slams Chelsea on 24-year-old Chelsea star situation at Stamford Bridge
Jamie Carragher has expressed his dissatisfaction with the current dilemma Chelsea are facing with the future of Conor Gallagher due to FFP rules.
The Blues are believed to be pondering selling Gallagher, along with some of his home-grown teammates this summer as a way of improving their standing with Financial Fair Play and the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.
This is despite Gallagher being arguably the best player at Stamford Bridge this season, when many of his teammates haven’t done enough.
The 24-year-old currently has just a little above a year remaining on his current contract, which means that Chelsea must resolve his situation this summer, or risk losing him for free after.
The club and Gallagher’s camp have been in negotiations for a new deal for months, without making headway, and this is largely due to the player’s wage demands.
The Blues are worried about shattering their current wage structure for Gallagher, knowing it would leave them in a precarious position with FFP and PSR, which explains why they are now thinking of cashing in on him in the transfer market, with the likes of Tottenham believed to be interested in a deal.
Furthermore, as a home-grown star, Conor Gallagher would certainly fetch Chelsea more in terms of pure profit, as per the game’s sustainability regulations, but Jamie Carragher believes the rules need to be changed because they don’t really do clubs any good.
Using Gallagher’s case as an example, the Liverpool legend told The Overlap: “It’s beneficial to the club to sell a homegrown player. It’s an unlevel playing field. If you’re a homegrown player compared to someone brought in and cost money, this guy is going to get moved on quicker when that’s his club.
“You think of Conor Gallagher now, that’s his club where he’s come through, and he’s the one that’s actually going to be sold or maybe moved on because of the rules.
“… The academy player can’t be the solution to the problem.”