Gallagher leads homegrown quartet in Chelsea summer transfer battle

The Blues reportedly need to raise £100 million in player sales to stay within the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, and transfer fees received for academy graduates would count as pure profit.

To that end, it is understood that Chelsea will listen to offers for each of Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, Ian Maatsen and Armando Broja – the latter two of whom are currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund and Fulham respectively.

READ MORE: Latest Chelsea transfer rumours

But Gallagher has led Chelsea out as captain in Reece James‘ injury-enforced absence this season, and Mauricio Pochettino has been public in his admiration for the midfielder. He’s not the only one who will dig his heels in.

Homegrown stars ‘won’t be rushed’

“Chelsea’s homegrown stars will not be rushed into finding a new club if the Blues need to sell them to raise quick cash this summer,” reports Nizaar Kinsella for The Evening Standard.

“… it is understood Gallagher, Chalobah, Maatsen and Broja have insisted they will wait for the right opportunity.”

READ MORE: Chelsea’s 10 most expensive transfers of all time

Tottenham Hotspur tried to sign Gallgher last summer, while Chelsea accepted Nottingham Forest’s bid for Chalobah and Burnley’s for Maatsen, with the players declining.

Maatsen is now on Bayern Munich’s shortlist to replace Alphonso Davies, should the Canadian join Real Madrid, while Dortmund also want to make his loan deal permanent.

A fellow left-back is on his way to Newcastle permanently in Lewis Hall. The Magpies’ 4-0 win over Tottenham on Saturday means his £4m loan will automatically become a £24m transfer as they can no longer finish lower than 15th.

Romelu Lukaku, not an academy player despite first joining the club aged 18, is for sale, but Cobham graduates James and Levi Colwill are not.