Chelsea could land ideal Conor Gallagher replacement if star seals £50m exit to Aston Villa or Spurs

Conor Gallagher has been heavily linked with a move away from Chelsea in the upcoming transfer window, despite continual protestations from sections of the Blues fanbase, and now it appears his replacement has already been found.

It is well reported that the Stamford Bridge club need to drum up some funds ahead of the Financial Fair Play deadline at the end of June and the sale of the £50m-rated 24-year-old Cobham graduate would be a key opportunity to earn pure profit.

While Tottenham Hotspur had initially appeared to be leading the race for the midfielder’s signature, the most recent news indicates that Unai Emery’s Aston Villa could beat Spurs to the finishing line with suggestions that the two parties are in early talks over a potential deal.

Gallagher - who is expected to play a key role in England’s upcoming Euro campaign - has just 12 months left on his Blues contract but, despite calls from fans to keep him at SW6, no new deal has yet been agreed and Villa have now raced to the front of the queue to acquire his services.

However beneficial his departure from Stamford Bridge would be from a financial aspect, the midfielder is very much considered a fan favourite and was seen as second to Cole Palmer in terms of being Chelsea’s best player last season, thus leaving new manager Enzo Maresca with a huge selection headache.

The Sun has since reported that the former Leicester boss has looked to his old club in order to find a player who could fill the gap. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is supposedly at the top of the list to replace Gallagher following a wonderful season under Maresca in the Championship.

The midfielder has been with the Foxes since 2006, coming up through the youth ranks. He was named the development player of the year in 2019 and after loan spells at Blackpool and Luton, Dewsbury-Hall established himself as a key first team player for Leicester in their 2023/24 Championship-winning season

The 25-year-old was being tracked by Chelsea’s Premier League rivals Liverpool last campaign but is now being seen by Maresca as a ‘like-for-like swap’ and someone the incoming Blues boss believes can make the step up to the west London club.

However, Leicester are not likely to let him go easily and reports indicate they will be holding out to receive at least £40m for their academy graduate. The King Power Stadium are in no need to sell any of their players but are instead focusing on trying to bolster their squad as they continue the search for a new manager.