Chelsea will have to lower their asking price to sell Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid.
As The Pitch Prospect exclusively revealed last week, the Blues are in talks with Atletico about a possible move to the Spanish capital.
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But so far, Chelsea are insisting on a package worth over £50 million, while Diego Simeone’s team are only willing to pay a maximum of £40 million.
As negotiations continue, Gallagher appears to be relaxed about his future, even though his current contract expires next summer.
Chelsea have identified England midfielder and academy colleague Trevoh Chalobah, who did not take part in the pre-season tour of the USA, as a player they can sell to solve any PSR issues.
Patience in the search for Southgate’s successor
The English Football Association (FA) is in no hurry to appoint a successor to Gareth Southgate, who resigned from his position at the end of the 2024 European Championship.
This means that current U21 coach Lee Carsley will most likely be on the bench when the Nations League starts in September.
The Pitch Prospect has been told that the list of potential Southgate replacements for the vacant England position is still being compiled and officials are determined to conduct a thorough selection process.
The fact that Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe has apparently received assurances about his role from the club’s Saudi owners makes a move difficult for him, as the Magpies would demand considerable compensation.
Former Chelsea manager Graham Potter is another British candidate for the job, while Mauricio Pochettino is interested should the English Football Association decide to go the foreign route.
Carsley is also highly regarded for leading the Under-21 team to the European Championship title last year and there is already a plan in place for the former Republic of Ireland midfielder to step in, at least temporarily.
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Ironically, England’s next Nations League game is against Ireland in Dublin on September 7.
Tottenham ruins West Ham transfer plan
A frustrating summer looks set to continue for West Ham as the club looks set to drop out of the race for 22-year-old Leeds winger Crysencio Summerville.
The Hammers are one of many clubs keen to sign last season’s Player of the Year, but have so far been unwilling to pay more than £20 million.
Having finally gained strength with the £40m transfer of Archie Gray to Tottenham, Leeds are prepared to hold their nerve and demand a similar transfer fee for Summerville, which will likely prove too much for the east Londoners.
This is already proving to be a difficult transfer window for West Ham technical director Tim Steidten after a number of potential transfers fell through, including that of Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo and Bayern Munich full-back Noussair Mazraoui.
Keane considers return to the sidelines
Robbie Keane is ready to return to the dugout and is open to his first England coaching role, The Pitch Prospect has learned.
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Keane has quietly built an impressive managerial resume, having led Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Israeli league title and the Europa Conference League round of 16 last season.
The Republic of Ireland legend also has a better points per game ratio than a number of high-profile out-of-work managers, including Zinedine Zidane, Xavi and Champions League finalist Edin Terzic.
He decided to leave Israel at the end of the season after once being locked in a panic room for hours due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
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