Conor Gallagher during his loan at Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace‘s on-loan midfielder Conor Gallagher will be back playing for Chelsea next season, according to journalist Michael Bridge.
The Lowdown: Gallagher excels at Palace
The 22-year-old joined the Eagles on a temporary basis last summer, with Thomas Tuchel unable to promise him regular playing time at Stamford Bridge.
Gallagher has been a revelation for Palace this season, providing an incredible work rate and chipping in with eight goals and three assists in the Premier League.
He has been described as ‘extraordinary’ by Tuchel, and with the current campaign slowly drawing to a close, Palace fans may have to prepare their goodbyes to the young midfielder.
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The Latest: Journalist expects Chelsea return for Gallagher
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Bridge claimed that Gallagher would return to Chelsea in the summer and remain there moving forward, saying:
“I would expect Gallagher to be part of the team next year. I don’t see why they would want to loan him out again.
“I think he’s proved that he’s a really good Premier League player – that’s what loans are about. What Chelsea gain from Gallagher is week in, week out, they see this boy getting man-of-the-match awards and turning games for Palace.”
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The Verdict: Huge blow for Eagles
This is a huge blow for Palace, with Gallagher being by far their best-rated player in 2021/22 according to WhoScored, even though there has always been a predictability about Chelsea wanting to use him regularly in the coming years.
In an ideal world, the young midfielder would by now have sealed a permanent move to Selhurst Park, where he is clearly loved by both Patrick Vieira and the Palace supporters.
As it is, it appears as though he will be leaving in the coming weeks, and it is imperative that Vieira looks for a tailor-made replacement in the attacking midfield role this summer given the size of the void that Gallagher will leave.
In other news, a Premier League player is considering joining Palace. Read more here.
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