The Athletic have revealed that Chelsea would very much be open to doing business with Tottenham Hotspur this summer and would review any bid that the North London side submit for Conor Gallagher.
The report points out that the previous Chelsea regime during the Roman Abramovich era did not do any business with Spurs, with there being a lot of tension and animosity between the two boardrooms.
However, it is claimed that the current Blues hierarchy under Todd Boehly is far more ‘business-minded’ and would be open to doing business with their local rivals.
It is explained that Tottenham held ‘serious talks’ with Chelsea over a deal for Gallagher last summer but there was an ‘unbridgeable gap’ in their respective valuations of the player, meaning that the negotiations failed to progress.
Tottenham and Chelsea have historically not seen eye-to-eye on transfers
There has been plenty of bad blood between the two London clubs when it comes to transfers in the past which has led to very little activity between the two.
Chelsea famously tried to tempt Luka Modric across London from Tottenham in 2011, upsetting the Spurs board to such an extent that Levy vetoed any future move. Thankfully, the Croatian subsequently joined Real Madrid the following summer and went on to have a stellar career in Spain.
The Stamford Bridge side when also under the ownership of Roman Abramovic hijacked a Spurs deal for winger Willian in 2013, gazumping Tottenham at the eleventh-hour when the Brazilian was already in at their training ground to undergo medical.
Chelsea will take a look at any Tottenham transfer offers
The publication adds that any offer from Spurs this summer for the England international which meets the Blues’ asking price will be ‘considered on its merits’, with the identity of bidders not likely to have a big influence on the West London side’s decision.
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While Chelsea would likely be happy to sell Gallagher to the highest bidder, they would perhaps prefer to sell the player to a club like Villa over Spurs if the two clubs make identical offers as the Blues hierarchy would be cautious about the possibility of a fan backlash.
The fact that Gallagher is a boyhood Chelsea fan adds another layer of complication to a potential transfer with the England international likely not to want to upset the fanbase.