Chelsea could sell Conor Gallagher this week despite calls from Joe Cole not to let go of the “very talented” midfielder.
Tottenham are eyeing a £45million move for the Englishman at the end of the January transfer window.
Gallagher has captained Chelsea on several occasions this season and Mauricio Pochettino is keen to keep hold of the player.
The 23-year-old also wants to stay at Stamford Bridge, where he has been at the club since the age of eight.
But despite these factors, the Evening Standard say a £45m offer could be enough to convince Chelsea to sell this month.
A move to Tottenham cannot be ruled out as he only has 18 months left on his contract and as an academy talent any sale would be a net gain on the Blues’ books.
Londoners try not to break the rules of profit and stability, so these transactions will benefit their finances.
The CIES Football Observatory statistical model estimates Gallagher’s transfer fee at around £42.5m (€49.8m).
That means securing £45million for the Cobham graduate is a significant return given the circumstances, but some, such as former midfielder Cole, are opposed to the sale.
The CIES model uses historical investment prices to scientifically predict the transfer value a club is likely to get playing a player with similar characteristics.
Their evaluations cover all possible application areas. Gallagher’s predicted performances make the England international more valuable than some of the Premier League’s biggest names.
Manchester City’s Erling Holland is the league’s highest-rated player at £215m. However, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, his main rival for the Golden Boot, dropped significantly for just £39.5m.
That’s because the Egyptian turns 32 this summer and will complete the final 12 months of his current contract at Anfield in July.
Even if Gallagher were included in that contract scenario, he wouldn’t turn 24 until February 6th.
That means he will be eight years younger than Salah when next season starts, and there is also a premium to sign homegrown players to get him fit.
Like Salah, who turns 32 this summer, Tottenham’s Son Heung-min is much cheaper. CIES suggest the club could pay in the region of £30.5m to offload the South Korean captain, regardless of his quality.
That’s because, like Salah and Gallagher, he is out of contract after 18 months, although Spurs are expected to include a one-year clause to extend his stay until 2026.
