Chelsea contract rebel deemed ‘not good enough’ to join Prem rivals Aston Villa

Former Aston Villa striker Alan McInally has warned his old club off signing Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher in the transfer window this summer.

McInally believes that Gallagher doesn’t have the quality to improve the Aston Villa squad and would demand wages that would be a burden for the club.

Gallagher has held out on signing a new contract with Chelsea and has shown signs of being dissatisfied by the direction of the club.

Chelsea have sought to tie Gallagher to a long-term deal like many of the other young stars they have recently brought in or who have come through their academy.

Gallagher is part of England’s Euro 2024 effort in Germany but is set to turn his focus to his future after the tournament.

Aston Villa and Tottenham are among the players strongly linked with Gallagher.

“I don’t think he’s good enough to play for Aston Villa,” McInally said in an assessment.

“He’s a good player, he’s done alright, but I can’t for the life of me understand how he got in the England squad and plays in front of some other players. Then again, that is the choice of Gareth Southgate. He has to stand by that.

“I don’t see Conor Gallagher making Aston Villa any better and I want players to come to my football club that are exceptionally better than Conor Gallagher and that’s just the way I feel.

“He’s a good player, he’s done very well for himself but I don’t see him being an Aston Villa player.

“I don’t know how much he’s going to cost but at the same time I don’t see the fit there.”

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Arsenal midfielder would be a better fit for Villa

Arsenal attacking midfielder Emile Smith-Rowe has been identified as a better fit for Aston Villa.

McInally is impressed with the young Gunners playmaker despite his struggles for game time of late.

“He’s a really good player by the way, a really good player,” McInally said.

“Would he get in the first team? I think he’d be pushing wouldn’t he. Obviously Douglas Luiz has gone to Juventus now, so there is a space in there along with (Boubacar) Kamara and John McGinn.

“You can’t really count (Moussa) Diaby and (Leon) Bailey on the right-hand side so you can take them out of the midfield scenario.

“In terms of young and energetic, on the fringes of a team that were going for the championship last season, I think he’d be a fantastic signing, I genuinely do. I think he’d be a great signing.”

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