Journalist Dean Jones has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur are surprised that there has been no progress on Conor Gallagher’s contract negotiations with Chelsea, suggesting that the Lilywhites will now test the waters to understand if a January deal would be realistic.
It has been widely reported by a whole host of outlets over the last couple of months that Gallagher is the midfielder at the top of Spurs’ wishlist (Independent).
However, various outlets over the last couple of weeks have played down Spurs’ chances of being able to land the 23-year-old during the current transfer window.
This includes The Sun, who reported on January 12 that the midfielder has no intention of leaving Stamford Bridge this month and suggested that Tottenham could perhaps try again to secure his services next summer.
Spurs will find out Chelsea’s plans for Gallagher soon
Jones has now revealed that as we enter the final 10 days of the transfer window, the time has come for Tottenham to launch exploratory offers to get a clear understanding of the Blues’ demands for Gallagher.
The journalist told GiveMeSport about the England international’s future: “Tottenham need to test the waters first to discover whether it’s even worth making a bid. I don’t think Tottenham will make a bid unless they understand that Chelsea are open-minded about selling him.
“We’re now getting into the late stages of the transfer window, and this was the point at which Tottenham would always find out just how much intent there was for Chelsea to sell.
“Tottenham are surprised that this one has been able to linger on. They thought a contract would be signed by now, and he’d be out of reach. But it hasn’t happened, and because of that, I think there is a growing chance that they will go and put a bid in for Gallagher.
“But we should understand that if that bid goes in, it means that there have been intermediaries testing it out to see whether he is gettable.”
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Tottenham evidently feel that they have a better chance of landing Gallagher for a lower fee closer to the transfer deadline. Chelsea’s resolve to hold on to the 23-year-old would be tested if the Lilywhites launch a £40m offer, particularly given the Blues’ policy of not allowing the players to get close to the final year of their contract.