Rio Ferdinand says £45m Newcastle target is now trying to stop a move

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Conor Gallagher’s future at Chelsea is an interesting subject heading into the summer transfer window.

The England international has been strongly linked with a £45m move to Newcastle United as Eddie Howe plots midfield signings.

Still, as an academy graduate at Chelsea, convincing him to leave might be difficult.

While it has clearly been an awful campaign for the Blues at Stamford Bridge, the emotional connection Gallagher has to his boyhood club would surely go above merely having a poor season.

The west London giants remain hugely ambitious under Todd Boehly and have certainly bounced back before. A year after their nightmare season in 2015/16, Chelsea won the Premier League title.

Rio Ferdinand says Conor Gallagher is fighting for his future

Indeed, Gallagher continues to feature at Chelsea.

Selected by all of Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard this season, it’s not as if the midfielder has been cast to the sidelines despite the arrival of some big name transfers.

Now, pundit Rio Ferdinand has said Gallagher is doing all he can to make sure he stays at Chelsea.

The former Manchester United defender told his Vibe with Five Podcast: “He’s fighting to stay at the club I think.

“I think Conor Gallagher and a few others there are fighting for their futures under this new ownership.

“’A new manager is coming in so I think Gallagher still has a lot to do, like the others, to prove he should be there next season.

“He’s a local lad and someone who’s come through the academy so I’m sure he will want to stay there. It will be interesting to see what happens to him this summer.”

Convincing Gallagher to leave will be hard

This season aside, is there much reason to leave Chelsea?

Granted, we are yet to see if the Boehly era will resemble anything like the ludicrously successful Roman Abramovich years but the money they are spending under their American ownership would certainly suggest they are trying to continue competing for major trophies.

Being from that area, it must be exciting to potentially play a big role in that. One bad season does not change much long-term.

Sadly for Newcastle, Gallagher might be out of reach.