After Chelsea’s sale, Thomas Tuchel will need help to find a replacement for N’Golo Kante
Tuchel is reportedly considering Gallagher as a replacement for N’Golo Kante, who has just over a year left on his Chelsea deal. The volume of the England international’s work off the ball has piqued interest, as has his ability to go into the box and threaten the goal, which is something the Blues’ current midfield alternatives lack.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Gallagher has scored eight goals in the Premier League this season, more than N’Golo Kante, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek combined. However, just two of those have come since the start of 2022, and the academy graduate’s form has since dropped.
Gallagher’s number of high-intensity minutes this season, according to football.london’s Crystal Palace journalist Mark Wyatt, is part of the reason. However, he also stated that James McArthur’s consistent absence from the Palace midfield has had an affect on the Chelsea loanee’s performance.
He stated, ” “Gallagher’s goal production has slowed in the second half of the season after a scorching start. He completed a fantastic team move away at Brighton in January before scoring a stunning goal against Watford a month later, but those are his only two league goals since the turn of the year.
“It may be attributed to a variety of reasons, including the amount of game time he’s seen this season. Gallagher has already had his busiest season at club level in terms of minutes played, with four appearances for the England Under-21s and three for the senior team. It’s no surprise that his output at the top end of the pitch has slowed, given his high energy and work rate.
“Gallagher’s ability to push forward in Patrick Vieira’s team was also aided by having James McArthur alongside him in the early stages of the season. Gallagher’s backup in midfield was taken away when McArthur was injured and lost three months of the season, which meant he couldn’t be as aggressive going forward without knowing McArthur was there behind him. During McArthur’s absence, he’s played alongside as many as four other midfielders, but none have been able to match the veteran’s chemistry.
“What does this imply for Chelsea’s future? It’s a good thing Gallagher didn’t come in expecting to be a swashbuckling midfielder ready to lead the Blues to triumph on all fronts – that wasn’t healthy or likely.
“It will also demonstrate to Chelsea that one piece will not solve the puzzle. With N’Golo Kante and Jorginho in their early 30s, Chelsea’s next owner should try to bring in players who will complement and emphasize Gallagher’s abilities rather than expecting for a one-size-fits-all solution.”
