Following his highly impressive debut senior season on loan with Championship clubs Charlton Athletic and Swansea, Chelsea Academy graduate Conor Gallagher is a most wanted man, now abroad as well as in England.
According to a report from German magazine kicker (via Inside Futbol), recently promoted Arminia Bielefied are keen on the 20-year-old midfielder and are “in talks”, joining a sizable group of Premier League teams, including Crystal Palace, Newcastle, West Ham, and also recently promoted Leeds United.
Bielefeld won the 2. Bundesliga with 68 points in 34 matches, 10 points above second-place Stuttgart. Both teams were promoted to the 1. Bundesliga, where the big boys of Germany take swings at one another before watching Bayern Munich lift the trophy.
Bielefeld should hope that the successes of Michy Batshuayi and Andreas Christensen at Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach, respectively, are still fresh in our memories, since our most recent loan moves to Germany have not panned out as well. Ethan Ampadu’s spell at RB Leipzig and Lewis Baker’s loan at Fortuna Dusseldorf were not great — though obviously each player’s case is unique and personal.
Chelsea may be targeting a Premier League loan for Gallagher, or perhaps even a shot at the Chelsea first-team. But one thing’s for sure, he’s not lacking for choice.