Conor Gallagher in action for Chelsea U21. (imago Images)
According to a report by The Athletic (Subscription Required) [h/t Mirror], Leeds United are interested in signing Chelsea midfielder, Conor Gallagher, in a potential loan deal. The young Chelsea midfielder was out on loan at West Bromwich Albion last season where he gained considerable Premier League experience, but could not save his side from relegation.
The Whites have already signed a Chelsea midfielder this season from the Blues. Earlier this month, according to a report by Leeds Live, Lewis Bate was signed for an initial £1.5m fee which could rise with add-ons. While the 18-year-old Bate joins Leeds’ U23 side, is Gallagher a player that Marcelo Bielsa should bring to Leeds United in order to strengthen his senior side? Let us find out.
Currently, Leeds United do not boast of a very deep midfield line-up. Kalvin Phillips is the undisputed number 6 that plays in front of their centre-backs. But apart from the England international who was impressive at the UEFA Euro 2020, Marcelo Bielsa would feel that he can strengthen in the midfield department.
Last season, the Whites largely played in formations that saw three central players in their midfield. That requires significant depth if they want to maintain a good standard in their starting XI over the course of a long Premier League season.
Moreover, consider the fact that Leeds led in the Premier League during the last campaign in the Passes Per Defensive Action (PPDA) stat, as per The Athletic (Subscription Required). To maintain that high-pressing intensity over a full season, a stacked midfield roster will do their Argentine manager more good than harm.
Adam Forshaw missed almost the entirety of last season due to a hip injury. The 29-year-old Englishman’s struggles reminded Bielsa how a fitness issue can impact a club’s starting XI, with him having to play Stuart Dallas, their full-back, in central midfield on several occasions.
Moreover, Pablo Hernandez, a major cog in Bielsa’s machine, left the club on the expiration of his contract while Forshaw is himself in the last 12 months of his Leeds deal. 21-year-old Robbie Gotts, who was at Salford in League 2 on loan last season, cannot be the answer to their midfield conundrum yet.
Jamie Shackleton, another 21-year-old English midfielder at Elland Road, looks like a bright prospect considering Bielsa has trusted him with starts in the Championship as well as the first division. But it is important not to rush him into the starting XI if he is not ready, which is probably why he was only given 13 league appearances last season.
In that regard, Gallagher seems well ahead when compared to the aforementioned Leeds midfielders around his age. The English youngster enjoyed 30 league appearances in the league last season and has plenty of experience in the Championship as well. He is a player who is ready for senior football and should be a player that Leeds eye in the short term.
With his maturity in senior football, Gallagher can do a job in Leeds midfield for the upcoming season if they get him on a loan deal. That would buy the young guns at Leeds another year to garner experience and ready themselves for more first-team action. And moreover, it also gives Bielsa’s side some more time in case they want to find a long-term asset in the centre of the park.
