Mauricio Pochettino has added to the uncertainty surrounding Conor Gallagher’s future at the club by acknowledging that the decision regarding the midfielder’s stay at Stamford Bridge is beyond his control.
Despite being a regular starter for Chelsea in nearly all of this season’s league matches and often leading the team in the absence of Reece James, 23-year-old Gallagher faces an uncertain future with only 18 months left on his contract.
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Reports suggest that Chelsea may entertain offers for him in January to generate funds for acquiring a new striker.
While Gallagher has not initiated talks for a contract extension, Pochettino acknowledges the player’s importance to the team but remains unable to provide any assurances about his long-term prospects with the club.
Asked about the England midfielder’s situation, Pochettino said: ‘That is between the club and the player.
‘I don’t need to talk too much because it is not my decision. He is in the starting eleven in nearly all the games and is one of the captains. For me, he is the type of player that the club needs to have.’
Chelsea is keen on securing a striker in the upcoming month, and Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney are among the players under consideration for the position.
Despite investing over £400 million in acquiring 13 new players during the summer transfer window, Pochettino acknowledged a deficiency in the team after the recent loss to Everton.
‘It’s about improving. We are talking after four, five months – 16 games – and it’s about assessing. If we are not able to score today with all the chances we had… we have to score if we want to win the game.
‘We want to be in a different position in the table. The team played well against a very difficult team like Everton. We were much better than them but you need to score.
‘After the first half of the season, we need to check. That is the reality. If we are not receiving enough, maybe we need to do some movement.
‘That is the thing to analyse with the sporting directors, to see if we can change this dynamic and improve in the second half of the season.
‘We need to be more aggressive. Then it’s a massive assessment and when the transfer window opens, we will see what we can do.
‘I don’t say if I am going to ask for more or less players. It’s to see if the perception matches the reality. We are missing something. We need to improve our reality.’
