How Chelsea 'blocked' Tottenham pursuit of Conor Gallagher

Chelsea's refusal to negotiate reasonably with Tottenham Hotspur for Conor Gallagher has left Spurs' summer transfer plans in disarray.

The Telegraph has revealed that while Tottenham’s manager, Ange Postecoglou, was keen on bringing Gallagher to North London, Chelsea’s demands were significantly higher for their London rivals than for Atletico Madrid.

Chelsea reportedly quoted Tottenham a fee of £45 million for Gallagher, despite the midfielder having just one year left on his contract.

This price was far beyond what the Blues accepted from Atletico Madrid, who secured Gallagher for £33.7 million. This difference shows how Chelsea is trying to make it as hard as possible for Tottenham to get a deal done.

The transfer saga took a further twist with insights from HITC, which reported that Gallagher himself had little interest in moving to Tottenham.

His preference was always for Atletico Madrid, indicating that even if a deal had been feasible, Gallagher might have leaned towards the Spanish club.

How Chelsea 'blocked' Tottenham pursuit of Conor Gallagher

Adding to Tottenham’s frustration, Fabrizio Romano revealed on The Daily Briefing that Spurs never made a serious attempt to sign Gallagher this summer.

Instead, they only considered the possibility of securing the player on a free transfer next summer, reflecting a lack of concrete action amid Chelsea’s inflated pricing.

Negotiations between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid have hit a roadblock, leaving Gallagher's future up in the air. This hold-up not only affects Gallagher’s career but also shows the difficulty Tottenham faces when trying to land big-name players from their rivals.

Chelsea's tactics have been clear: they were unwilling to facilitate a move that would strengthen a close competitor. Moreover, Chelsea was aware of the potential backlash from fans if they sold Gallagher, a fan favorite and an academy product, to one of their biggest rivals.

By setting a prohibitive price, Chelsea effectively blocked Tottenham's attempts to bolster their squad with Gallagher.