Everton could benefit from a potential clear-out at Stamford Bridge this summer, as Chelsea look to sell midfielder Conor Gallagher.
Journalist Nizaar Kinsella of The Evening Standard reports that Chelsea look set to off-load up to eight players, with the 23-year-old midfielder having previously been linked with the Blues.
Should Conor Gallagher become available this summer, Dyche should make him a priority signing.
The England international would offer a versatility to Everton’s midfield, his exhaustive box-to-box style almost tailor made for a Sean Dyche team.
Indeed, Gallagher is exactly the type of player Everton should be looking to recruit, as no doubt there needs to be a change in approach in the transfer market.
Other than the rare exception, the Toffees have spent big on very average players with little to no sell-on value, resulting in a second successive relegation scrap and the eighth permanent manager in as many years.
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Whilst Everton should now be actively trying to avoid signing the unwanted cast-offs that fellow Premier League clubs are trying to shift and perhaps look to the Championship for reinforcements, Gallagher’s youth and undoubted potential make him an exception.
Though young, the 23-year-old already has bags of Premier League experience, so should require very little time to adapt to life at Everton, with the midfielder particularly catching the eye during his 2021/22 loan spell at Crystal Palace, where he scored eight league goals in 34 games, picking up the Player of the Season award.
Gallagher suits youthful Everton midfield that Dyche can develop
Goals from midfield is a luxury Everton do not currently possess, and signing a young player capable of such a return this summer must be a priority. An all-round midfielder, Gallagher could be the long-term replacement for the 30-year-old Abdoulaye Doucoure, who’s contract is set to expire this summer.
Indeed, with the likes of 21-year-old Amadou Onana and 22-year-old James Garner on Everton’s books, the addition of a player such as Gallagher would see the Toffees establish a youthful and prodigious midfield, who would ideally develop as a unit under Sean Dyche.
All three players also potentially have resale value, unlike many of the players Everton have bought over recent seasons who they subsequently struggle to shift, before the players eventually run down their contracts.
If Chelsea are looking for a potential bidder for Conor Gallagher, Everton should be at the front of the queue.