Newcastle United have reportedly made an enquiry to sign Conor Gallagher from Chelsea this month.
That is according to the Daily Mail, who state that the Magpies are one of five Premier League clubs that are interested in the 22-year-old midfielder. The other teams mentioned are Crystal Palace, Everton, Nottingham Forest and Southampton.
Gallagher reemerged as a target for Newcastle earlier this week, with the Telegraph stating that he is one of three Chelsea players on Eddie Howe’s radar, alongside Hakim Ziyech and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Fabrizio Romano reported on Tuesday that the Blues will make a decision over Gallagher’s future in the coming days. However, the Daily Mail state that Graham Potter and Gallagher’s minds are already made up – and it’s not good news for Newcastle.
Conor Gallagher to snub Newcastle interest
According to the Daily Mail, Gallagher has no interest in leaving Chelsea during the January transfer window. They state that he wants to stay at Stamford Bridge, having made 24 appearances for the Blues this season.
That view is shared by his manager Graham Potter, who is against the idea of Gallagher leaving the West London club this month.
That is a blow for Newcastle, but perhaps won’t come as a surprise. It was always going to be difficult to bring Gallagher to St James’ Park, especially given the fact that we are now competing with Chelsea for a place in the Champions League. Howe’s side are currently third in the Premier League, 10 points clear of Potter and co.
But Newcastle are looking for midfield reinforcements, and turned to a player who has been relentlessly linked with a move to the North East in recent years.
Gallagher would certainly be a good fit in black and white, and looks like someone who could really thrive under the current regime on Tyneside. In the words of pundit Ally McCoist, he would be the ‘perfect‘ signing.
However, that dream is seemingly not going to become a reality, with Gallagher not interested in a move to Newcastle. Instead, he wants to stay exactly where he is, and his manager feels the same.