Petr Cech has revealed Chelsea stars Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour were both close to staying at the club this summer.
Gallagher is yet to play any first-team game for the Blues having spent last season on loan at West Brom.
The 21-year-old was sent out on loan once again this campaign as he joined Crystal Palace and he is thriving under Patrick Vieira at Selhurst Park.
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Gilmour, meanwhile, has struggled to make any impact on loan at Norwich City despite making a good start at Carrow Road.
The Scotland international impressed Thomas Tuchel during the second half of Chelsea’s campaign last season and Cech believes both midfielders will return to Stamford Bridge in a ‘stronger position’.
‘Conor was very close in terms of making the team here in the summer and we were really happy with him but it was the same as with Billy Gilmour and we felt at that stage of their careers they needed to go and play as many games as possible,’ Cech wrote in his column for Chelsea‘s official website.
‘They are both at the stage where we really want them to become core players for Chelsea so it was better for them to go and play.
‘For Conor to get the England call-up was absolutely amazing and to make his debut was obviously even more amazing.
‘If he didn’t go to Crystal Palace and perform but rather stayed here and maybe didn’t play every game then that would never have happened.
