Aston Villa in Three-Club Race for £50m Star

Aston Villa are preparing to spend big in the transfer window after qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in 41 years under Unai Emery. The Villans have been touted to make a move for Conor Gallagher ahead of what is undoubtedly set to be an intense summer period – where they will battle Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United for his signature, Ben Jacobs has told GIVEMESPORT.

A shock season under Emery saw Villa generally cruise to the top four, only worried over a tense final few weeks when they secured qualification on the penultimate gameweek of the season – and as a result, they could look to massively boost their ranks for the new campaign.

Aston Villa: Conor Gallagher Transfer Latest

The Blues star could be on the move

The report, told exclusively to GIVEMESPORT by Ben Jacobs, stated that despite Gallagher’s form and recent higher standing in the squad in recent weeks, he could leave the Blues in the summer – with Villa interested. Gallagher has been told he has ‘special abilities’ by Mauricio Pochettino, though the Blues boss was shown the exit door.

The West Midlands club aren’t the only side interested; Chelsea’s rivals Tottenham are said to be keen on securing his signature alongside Newcastle, who remain a club on the rise despite failing to qualify for the Champions League after doing so last season.

The report further states that Chelsea would expect a fee of £50million and above for the Cobham graduate, though the Blues have more of a reason to sell Ian Maatsen, Armando Broja and Romelu Lukaku, who they expect to bring in over £100m as a trio.

Lukaku hasn’t featured for Chelsea for over a year, Broja has had a similar time frame due to an ACL injury picked up in November 2022, whilst Maatsen only made substitute appearances off the bench in his time at Stamford Bridge – before joining Borussia Dortmund on loan in January and becoming a Champions League runner-up.

With the Blues needing to get rid of some of their squad to raise funds, in order to bolster their options elsewhere, Gallagher is one of the more attractive options as he came from the academy – meaning that any fee received for him will be counted as pure profit, helping with Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) with the club then adding to their ranks with a heightened budget.

Conor Gallagher Would be an Immense Signing for Aston Villa

The Chelsea star has plenty of continental experience

Gallagher was superb for Chelsea this season, racking up seven goals and nine assists from central midfield with the Blues firing back in the second half of the campaign to win a spot in the Europa Conference League.

The Epsom-born star always brings a tenacious, committed performance to the Stamford Bridge ranks and, having taken on the captain’s armband for the majority of the year, it would pain supporters to see yet another fan favourite leave the club in the footsteps of Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and more who all came through the ranks at the clubs’ academy.

Villa, meanwhile, would be recruiting an England international into the centre of their midfield – and with a gruelling Champions League campaign to come, Gallagher would offer a wealth of experience, having made 13 caps for the Three Lions under Gareth Southgate. Playing alongside Douglas Luiz, John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans in the centre of the park, chances may not be as straightforward as first thought for the Chelsea star.

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Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt.