Chelsea are enduring another horror season this year, and despite their massive spending in the summer and the hiring of a Premier League-proven manager in Mauricio Pochettino, they currently find themselves stuck in midtable.
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That hard work might not be enough to save his place in the XI, as the latest player linked with the Blues would likely come right into the side in his place, Real Madrid's Federico Valverde.
According to the Spanish publication DefensaCentral, Federico Valverde is one of Pochettino's 'most desired objectives' in the January transfer window, and while Real do not want to sell the player, they will not force players to stay.
The publication reports that it could cost at least €100m - about £86m - to get the player out of Madrid, which, while an awful lot of money, could prove good value for a player dubbed "one of the best in the world", by Carlo Ancelotti, via Fabrizio Romano.
federico-valverde-premier-league-spurs-transfers
The Uruguayan has started 15 La Liga games for Los Blancos this season, scoring one goal, providing two assists, taking 1.6 shots per game, maintaining a passing accuracy of 90.9%, winning two Man-of-the-Match awards and averaging a match rating of 7.16, per WhoScored.
In other words, he would be a brilliant addition to Chelsea, although his arrival would likely spell the end for Gallagher in the first team.
Federico Valverde could replace Conor Gallagher
Gallagher might be a popular player with the match-going fans for his tireless running and fairly likeable demeanour, but unfortunately, at the pinnacle of football - where Chelsea want to be - that just isn't enough, with recent reports indicating that the Englishman could even be sold in January.
He certainly hasn't been a bad player for the Blues, and his talent is evident to all, but Valverde is simply the superior player in almost every department, and by quite some way, too.
So, with both players starting most of their games this season in central midfield, the current Chelsea man would have to make way if this transfer happens.
When looking at their underlying numbers, the extent to which the Real man would be an upgrade on the former Crystal Palace loanee becomes immediately apparent.
In everything from scoring to creating to carrying the ball, the 25-year-old "monster", as described by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, comes out on top; only in tackles does Gallagher have his man beat, which could be corrected with coaching and familiarity with the role he'd have to play in west London.
Federico Valverde vs Conor Gallagher
Stat (per 90)
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.32
0.20
Progressive Passes
7.29
5.55
Progressive Carries
3.75
1.68
Shots on Target
0.56
0.44
Passing Accuracy
89.1%
88.5%
Shot-Creating Actions
4.31
3.57
Tackles Won
1.18
1.90
All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season
Ultimately, the Cobham graduate has been a useful player for the Blues this year, and while he is still a Premier League quality player, his place in the starting XI would and should be taken the second Valverde arrived.