Aston Villa may reportedly be prepared to be creative in a bid to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.
The England international has established himself as one of the Blues' key men, starting all but one of the club's 38 Premier League fixtures during 2023-24.
More recently, Gallagher dropping into a deeper midfield role has helped Chelsea record five successive league wins, securing sixth place in the standings.
Nevertheless, speculation persists that co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital remain intent on cashing in on the third-choice captain this summer.
That is a consequence of several factors, including Chelsea needing to meet the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules and Gallagher having just over a year remaining on his contract.
As it stands, there is no sign that a renewal will be offered to the 24-year-old, despite the obvious benefits he brings to the team and the desire of Mauricio Pochettino to retain his services.
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Gallagher not short of admirers
Naturally, Gallagher will not be short of interest in the summer, with clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United said to be monitoring the situation.
In recent days, though, Villa have been suggested as a potential destination, the West Midlands outfit eager to strengthen their squad ahead of their first-ever appearance in the Champions League.
Villa's own potential PSR issues could lead to a restricted summer unless sales are made - yet not to the extent of earlier in the year - and that may seemingly lead to a creative offer being proposed for Gallagher.
According to football.london, Villa may be prepared to use Jhon Duran in any offer put forward over the coming months.
Chelsea were heavily linked with an approach for the Colombia international in January, only for the decision to be taken not to add another central forward to their squad.
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Would a transfer make sense for all parties?
This would be a scenario with plenty of moving parts, the most important being the intentions of Gallagher, yet it may only be the midfielder who would not necessarily jump at a transfer.
With Chelsea generally signing younger players, purchasing Duran to compete with Nicolas Jackson down the centre of the attack may be deemed too attractive to turn down.
That is despite the 20-year-old being restricted to three starts and 463 minutes in the Premier League this season. He has still scored five goals.
Duran will remain second fiddle to Ollie Watkins while he remains at Villa Park, and the club's owners know that they can make a profit on the alleged £17.75m fee that they committed to paying from January 2023.
Another potential stumbling block could be the valuations of the respective clubs. Chelsea will not view Gallagher and Duran at the same price given the vast differences in experience.
Darren Plant
