Conor Gallagher was a very popular player among a section of Chelsea’s fanbase during his days at Stamford Bridge.
The midfielder was an individual who worked relentlessly and showed leadership qualities. With Reece James and Ben Chilwell unable to stay fit, Gallagher was handed the Chelsea captain’s armband in the 2023/24 season.
Gallagher is now set to join Tottenham Hotspur after they agreed a deal with Atletico Madrid to sign him.
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As well as supporters, figures at Chelsea also appreciated the commitment that the 25-year-old showed in games.
Chelsea claim Conor Gallagher never hid on the pitch
When Gallagher finally got his break at Chelsea after loans at Crystal Palace, West Bromwich Albion, Swansea City and Charlton Athletic, the Blues were not in a good place.
The Englishman was part of the Chelsea squad who had a disastrous campaign under Graham Potter before his sacking. They went on to finish in the bottom half of the table and had another disappointing season a year later after missing out on Champions League qualification again.
However, there is a feeling inside Chelsea that Gallagher was one player who never hid during the turmoil.
Speaking on The Tottenham Way podcast, journalist Tom Allnutt said: “You speak to people at Chelsea, and they really speak glowingly about what Gallagher was like on and off the pitch. On the pitch, they say that he never hid in the tough moments. Maybe if you remember that Chelsea team that Poch was dealing with, and even before that, it was a really disparate team.
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“I think the way they speak of Gallagher being a leader, even at that age, he’s 25 now, so what he was 22, 23, and the fact that Poch made him captain. I mean, I remember that incident, I remember the Chelsea penalty spat with [Noni] Madueke and [Nicolas] Jackson. Actually, you forget that Gallagher was the one in the middle there, so he basically got the ball and gave it to [Cole] Palmer and pushed the other two guys away.”
One of Gallagher’s former Chelsea teammates could also be on the move this month. It is thought that Fenerbahce are close to signing N’Golo Kante from Al-Ittihad.
Gallagher left Chelsea in 2024 for Atletico, with his critics claiming that he was not a good fit for Mauricio Pochettino’s successor, Enzo Maresca. It is a notion that the England international has dismissed.
Gallagher was interviewed shortly after his move to Spain and said: “I don’t think that’s true, personally. I think last season I had a good season with Chelsea and you could see by Pochettino playing me every game and showing his trust in me.”
It would not matter now, with Maresca no longer at Chelsea. He left west London on New Year’s Day and has since been replaced by Liam Rosenior, who the Blues snatched from sister club Strasbourg.
Rosenior is missing midfielders right now, so Gallagher could have been a useful player to have for the Arsenal game on Wednesday night.
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