Why Burnley signing Conor Gallagher would be a wise move

According to Daily Mail, Burnley are lining up a move for Chelsea starlet Conor Gallagher, who currently plies his trade with Charlton Athletic on loan.

A Chelsea youth product, Gallagher moved to Charlton on loan last summer. In 21 games so far, he has scored 6 goals and further set up 3 more for his team. After finding it hard to break into the Blues’ first-team, he made a move in order to gain enough playing time.

After a minor heart surgery, he went on to become Chelsea’s academy Player of the Year in May and has been impressing this term in the Championship. And the report suggests that Burnley’s scouts have been tracking his progress for a while.

Meanwhile, Sean Dyche’s men are languishing in the bottom half of the table after a string of inconsistent performance. They have won just 1 of their last four league games and are in danger of falling deeper with tougher games to be played in the winter.

Dyche is eager to improve his options in midfield when the transfer window arrives in January, according to the Daily Mail. This would be the right time to move for a player who is making waves with his performance at present.

Danny Drinkwater, one of the most experienced campaigners has been a disappointment in his loan spell this term, making just one appearance for the Clarets. Jack Cork and Ashley Westwood are the two significant mainstays in a defensive midfield role and have almost played in every match.

Whereas Jeff Hendricks has been a lone warrior in central midfield without any support left on the bench. And when the central players don’t click, the forwards have found it difficult to get help while making attacks.

Therefore, to improve the team and its work rate in moving higher up the pitch, Burnley must find a way to accommodate Conor Gallagher in the middle of the park to see a shift in their proceedings.

The 19-year-old has proved himself after developing his game in the second-tier.

Despite being a defensive midfielder, Gallagher has shown his ability to control the game while being deploy in a central role, which has allowed him to join the team’s attack. His goals are proof of his abilities to not only stay behind but also to be a leader upfront.

He is the joint top-scorer along with Macauley Bonne for the Addicks this season and it is an achievement for someone who is focused on defending. He could be of more help to Burnley, who have struggled to score in the league and at the same time, he would be able to stop a large number of attacks by the opponents.

At Burnley, his presence would allow Westwood and Cork to sit deeper and he can move freely higher up and offer some assistance to the likes of Jay Rodriguez, Ashley Barnes, and Aaron Lennon. And in the process, he can develop into a big-game player.

Read more

• Why Abdoulaye Toure would be a good fit for Sean Dyche’s Burnley
• Why Burnley need to arrange a new deal for Jeff Hendrick
• Why Charlie Taylor’s new deal with Burnley would be good for the club

Verdict

The Epsom-born midfielder’s inclusion for the rest of the season would be a huge boost for Dyche, who is desperate need of a force in the centre. And with Gallagher, Dyche can hope for a different dimension to their game.

Therefore, Burnley would be wise enough to snap him up ahead of Chelsea, who have the chance to recall him after a massive improvement in his game in his loan spell.