Arsenal face Conor Gallagher transfer decision made worse for Chelsea by Trevoh Chalobah call

Arsenal and Chelsea have had very different transfer windows as the Blues’ crazy spending goes on and the Gunners take a more careful approach to recruitment. It has been this way for some time now and looking at the league table, it is rather clear who has benefitted more from their chosen strategy.

However, both clubs have got similar decisions to make with two players this summer as the sides look to raise some funds to give them more financial freedom with the current rules on spending changing the landscape of the market. Having turned down one offer for Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid, there are suggestions the Spanish side might come back again with a much more significant offer.

Gallagher was one of Chelsea’s few bright sparks during another difficult campaign which saw them fail again to qualify for the UEFA Champions League despite their monumental spending. The more money Todd Boehly invests, the less likely it is that youth graduates are given a chance in the first team.

Levi Colwill and Gallagher were the two standouts and were key in giving Chelsea some identity. Gallagher has worn the captain’s armband on many occasions now but a potential sale seems baffling considering his form for his club side earning him a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad too – it could be made even worse should Trevoh Chalobah also leave which is looking increasingly likely.

For Arsenal, three players; Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson could leave the team this summer. Having all been with the side since a young age, the trio have had varying degrees of output but only Smith Rowe has been able, for a short period, to establish himself as a starter for the foreseeable future.

However that has since changed with both injury and a lack of game time. Where it would seem rather ill-advised for Chelsea to allow a clear identifier of what the club is and its roots to leave, the Gunners have much more freedom.

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Bukayo Saka is their talisman and an Arsenal supporter himself while the likes of William Saliba joined late he also grew up an Arsenal fan. Mikel Arteta, a former club captain, has made it his mission to instil the values of the club he knows so well into his team both on and off the field.

If there is one thing this Arsenal side lacks it is not an identity crisis. Yet for Chelsea losing Gallagher would be a considerable blow and has raised plenty more questions from supporters at Stamford Bridge and beyond than the corresponding Arsenal comparisons.

Perhaps there will be some more promotion from the Cobham graduates this year but Enzo Maresca needs to be wary of this reality. Arteta might face some scrutiny regarding giving youth a chance at times, but never has his understanding and implementation of club culture been questioned.