Chelsea open to shock Conor Gallagher sale in January amid Premier League spending scare as plans drawn up to fund Mauricio Pochettino’s striker pursuit

Since Todd Boehly took over at Stamford Bridge last year, Chelsea have spent over £1 billion on new players, but they have regressed even more. As a result, they will now have to battle extremely hard to make it to any European competition, let alone the Champions League. Strikers like Brentford's Ivan Toney and Napoli's Victor Osimhen have been strongly connected to the Blues as per the Guardian, as their biggest problem continues to be finishing chances.

Gallagher is reportedly being prepared for the chop, according to the Daily Mail, as Chelsea would have to let go of certain players before investing in a No. 9. There are fears from within the club that signing a top centre-forward would put them in breach of the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules. Gallagher would represent straight profit on the club's balance sheet, and any sale would see him mirror Mason Mount's move away from the club in the summer.

The Pochettino-led side are currently 14 points off of the top four in the Premier League, sitting in 12th place. Following Sunday's 2-0 loss to Everton, the manager hinted that the team will need to return to the transfer market in January. It was also reported earlier that the Argentine has a set list of seven players that he wants to get rid of in the winter transfer window.

As per Opta Analyst, Chelsea have accumulated only 39 points in the 39 league games played in 2023, this is the least number of points by a club that is still playing in the Premier League this season. They host this unwanted record along with Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest.

Before the arrival of the January transfer window, Gallagher will have five games to convince Pochettino, beginning with their clash against relegation-threatened Sheffield United on Saturday, December 16.