Conor Gallagher was Chelsea's hero earlier this week when he scored two second-half goals to lead his side to a 3-1 victory against Crystal Palace.
Gallagher has been a fixture in the ever-evolving Chelsea lineup since spending the 2021-22 season on loan with Palace, becoming a recent success story for the club's academy that he joined at the age of eight.
Yet despite becoming a key part of Chelsea's squad, the 24-year-old has been the subject of transfer rumours as the club look to climb back into the upper echelon of the Premier League. That does not sit right with Mark Lawrenson, who played nearly a decade in England's top flight in the 1970s and 80s.
Speaking to Paddy Power, the former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland defender expressed confusion about the rumours, labelling Gallagher as an important part of the Chelsea side.
“Conor Gallagher is one of Chelsea’s most important players so I’m not sure why the club would want to get rid of him in the summer, especially with him having 18 months left of his contract," Lawrenson said.
Chelsea have been far from a steady environment in recent years, so Lawrenson could see Gallagher being allowed to leave Stamford Bridge even if he doesn't agree with the move.
"If Chelsea let him go, it would be very strange, although I would say in recent weeks their midfield two, in Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo, are starting to look better," he said.
"Against Crystal Palace, they looked better in the second half when they put Nicolas Jackson through the middle instead of on the left wing.”
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