With the 2023/24 campaign fast approaching, few Premier League outfits could hold as much excitement and anticipation as Newcastle United, who return to the Champions League after two decades away and hope to retain their spot in the top four.
Manager Eddie Howe and technical director Dan Ashworth have combined to cultivate the perfect formula for success at St. James's Park, with the astute and diligent work on the transfer front implemented aptly on the pitch, and the results are discernible for all.
Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes have already arrived at Tyneside to take the club's summer spending just shy of £100m, but with Conor Gallagher ostensibly available Howe might be inclined to delve back into the market and procure the services of a robust and reliable England international.
Are Newcastle going to sign Conor Gallagher?
i news reports that the Magpies are hoping to sign a further two players this summer, and the midfield could see its completion with Gallagher's arrival.
Indeed, the Guardian claims that following West Ham United's rejected £37m plus add-ons offer for the 23-year-old, Chelsea are now welcoming bids for the England ace, though he will cost in excess of £40m.
Newcastle have been confirmed as admirers, though there is an expectation that a sale will have to be made to accommodate the box-to-box ace.
How good is Conor Gallagher?
An energetic midfielder with a "relentless" work rate – as he has been praised for by analysis Patrick Rowe – Gallagher would take like a duck to water on Tyneside if provided the stage.
Last season with Chelsea, he was among the throngs of players to underperform and indeed failed to stop the prestigious London outfit from plummeting to an embarrassing 12th-placed Premier League finish.
However, the season prior, while on loan at Crystal Palace, Gallagher exhibited his skills with aplomb, with Sofascore recording his average rating at 7.08 after an impressive breakout campaign, scoring eight goals, completing 81% of his passes and averaging two tackles per match.
Such a high-octane presence would be welcomed by Howe, who has already maximised the abilities of Bruno Guimaraes at the core of the flourishing project, with the Brazil international heralded as "world-class" by teammate Dan Burn following his £40m move from Lyon in January 2022.
And despite the tough campaign with the Blues, Gallagher still ranks among the top 19% for progressive carries, the top 21% for successful take-ons and the top 4% for blocks per 90, as per FBref, which illustrates his defensive application and driving nature on the ball.
The £50k-per-week star would certainly complement Guimaraes' own exploits, with the all-encompassing midfield conductor pulling the strings from the very centre of the midfield, ranking among the top 13% of midfielders for shot-creating actions, progressive passes and successful take-ons per 90.
By driving the ball forward and playing a similar role to Joelinton – who is Gallagher's most comparable player on FBref – Guimaraes would have a fluid and cohesive pair of workhorses astride him.
There is no doubt that the Blues livewire would be a "fantastic" acquisition – as he has been dubbed by former Chelsea boss Graham Potter – for a burgeoning outfit, and if Howe and co succeed in shifting a player on, Gallagher is the midfielder who must be signed to complete the construction of a budding superpower.
