Pochettino rules out £44m Chelsea midfielder sale as 4 key men for project identified

Mauricio Pochettino is almost set to take over the reins at Chelsea in the summer as the negotiations between the Argentine manager and the club enter the final stages. The arrival of Pochettino could see Conor Gallagher stay at Stamford Bridge as he is considered as one of the key members of the Pochettino project at Chelsea.

The Argentine is well known among the Premier League circles as he has managed Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur for two and five years respectively. Pochettino emerged as the top contender for the Chelsea job after Julian Nagelsmann pulled out of the race. Post their due diligence and rigorous evaluation process, Pochettino emerged as the best option and the negotiations have been ongoing ever since.

His arrival at Chelsea is seen as a reset after a dreadful season under the new owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. The Blues are on course for a mid table finish in the league, missing out on any sort of European football for next season. CFC were knocked out by Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid in the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League.

New Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino to block Conor Gallagher sale

The arrival of a new manager will allow CFC to start from a clean slate, starting a fresh project with new faces. Chelsea are expected to continue their squad overhaul in the summer and a swirl of ins and outs are expected to take place.

With the onset of a fresh project under Pochettino, new protagonists have been identified. According to Evening Standard, Pochettino has identified four players for his side that are instrumental for the project. Mason Mount, Reece James, Levi Colwill and Gallagher are expected to be the four cornerstones of the project.

Colwill is currently on loan at Brighton but is expected to return to Chelsea and become a part of the squad. Mount’s situation is still unclear as he is yet to sign a contract extension. Previously, Gallagher was seen as expendable as CFC looked to balance their books.

Chelsea were expecting to pocket around £44 million from the sale of Gallagher but with Pochettino coming in and making the Englishman an integral part of the project, it seems unlikely that the 23 year old will be shown the exit door. Gallagher was previously open to leaving the Blues but intends to stay at Stamford Bridge under a manager who counts on him and considers him a regular in the team.

Will Conor Gallagher stay at Chelsea?