Chelsea landing De Jong could force promising Cobham graduate out on loan

Transfer News: Conor Gallagher could leave on loan if Chelsea sign Frenkie de Jong

According to The Mirror (h/t Express), should Chelsea land Frenkie de Jong this summer, Conor Gallagher could be sent out on loan again. The academy graduate was very impressive in his loan spell last season at Crystal Palace. And the arrival of the Dutchman could limit his chance of securing regular gametime.

Chelsea are looking keen to pounce on Manchester United’s long-standing target this summer. The Dutch midfielder is reluctant to join the Manchester side, and the Blues are looking to use that to their advantage. However, it may come at a price.

Palace are ‘confident’ that they are in pole position to re-sign Gallagher on loan. However, they could face competition this time, with West Ham United and Newcastle United also holding an interest in the 22-year-old.

The England international made 39 overall appearances for the Eagles last season, scoring eight goals and assisting another five. His impressive run earned him a call-up to the national side, where he again was outstanding. This led to expectations that he would feature for Chelsea this season.

He was included in the pre-season squad by Thomas Tuchel. The 22-year-old was impressive in the friendlies and was included in the match squad for both of the Blues’ Premier League games. However, game time has not come easy. The midfielder came off the bench in both matches and has played a mere six minutes of football.

Should De Jong arrive from Barcelona, game time could become more limited for the Englishman. He would fall further down the pecking order. A loan move would be wise for all parties. The player is also keen to return back to Selhurst Park, where he was named the Player of the Year last season.

His previous loan spell could be decisive in his decision, but the player will be the ultimate one to decide upon his future club. Gallagher will likely get his desired playing time in any of the clubs he joins. With the World Cup in November, he will hope to make the England squad.

More Chelsea News:

• Cesare Casadei to join Chelsea from Inter Milan
• Everton youngster Anthony Gordon wants to leave the club for Chelsea
• Chelsea target Matheus Nunes to join Wolverhampton Wanderers

But this all comes down to the point if Chelsea can sign Frenkie de Jong. If they cannot, Gallagher will likely stay back and fight for his place in Tuchel’s team. With the transfer window open for another two weeks, what happens with both the players will be interesting to see.