Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues in battle for Piero Hincapie; club willing to offload Conor Gallagher, and more - December 19, 2023

Chelsea welcome Newcastle United to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday (December 19) for the EFL Cup quarterfinal. Mauricio Pochettino's team are coming off a 2-0 Premier League win over Sheffield United at the weekend.

Meanwhile, the Blues are locked in a battle to sign Bayern Leverkusen starlet Piero Hincapie. Elsewhere, the London giants are ready to cash in on midfielder Conor Gallagher in January.

On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on December 19, 2023:

---

Chelsea in battle for Piero Hincapie

Piero Hincapie (right) is wanted at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are locked in a battle with Liverpool and Manchester City for the services of Piero Hincapie, according to Caught Offside.

The 21-year-old defender has gone from strength to strength with Bayer Leverkusen this season, helping register seven clean sheets in 16 outings across competitions. His efforts have turned heads at Stamford Bridge, with Pochettino on the lookout for a new defender.

The Argentinean manager needs to rope in a replacement for the 39-year-old Thiago Silva, who is in the final phase of his career. Meanwhile, Trevoh Chalobah is expected to leave the Blues, as per acclaimed transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Pochettino is likely to delve into the transfer market to address the situation, and Hincapie has emerged as an option. The Ecuadorian is under contract with the Bundesliga side till 2027 and is expected to cost at least €70 million.

---

Blues willing to offload Conor Gallagher, says Fabrizio Romano

Conor Gallagher’s future remains undecided.

Chelsea are willing to offload Conor Gallagher for a suitable fee in January, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The English midfielder has been a first-team regular for Pochettino this season, appearing in 19 games across competitions and registering four assists. He has held in own among the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo and has turned heads across clubs in the league. Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have been linked with the player in the past by The Express.

In his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that an offer of more than £35 million could tempt the Blues to let him go.

"Mauricio Pochettino has spoken about Conor Gallagher’s future, and the situation is much the same as it was in the summer. He was available in the summer, but only for an important bid.

"The reality is he has always been available, and now his contract is due to expire in 2025, so Chelsea want to have a conversation with the player and his representatives,” wrote Romano.

He continued:

“I think, for January, it would take an important proposal, but if it’s something more than £35m, then, Chelsea could be open to discussing it. But, it is not something that they 100% approve – they are not at the stage yet where they have decided to sell Gallagher."

The transfer guru added that Gallagher’s future remains up in the air, despite Pochettino’s desire to keep him at Stamford Bridge.

“There’s still no decision on Gallagher from what I heard. His new contract situation remains one of the topics being discussed at Chelsea, but his exit can’t be ruled out in case they receive an important proposal. Tottenham wanted him last summer but there has been no further development so far," wrote Romano.

Romano concluded:

“I think Pochettino sent a strong message about the player, that this is the kind of player they need, so let’s see how the board respond to this strong message from the manager. I’d keep this situation open."

The London giants might have to offload players in 2024 to adhere to FFP norms.

---

Chelsea not planning Noni Madueke departure in January

Noni Madueke has struggled for game time at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are not planning to offload Noni Madueke in January, according to transfer insider Ben Jacobs.

The English forward arrived from PSV Eindhoven in January but has failed to get going. Madueke has registered just eight appearances this season for the Blues, scoring once. Fichajes says that the London giants are willing to let he 21-year-old leave for £35 million in January.

However, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs insisted that the Blues are keeping their faith in Madueke.

"We've seen some reports out there that suggest he could be sold for £35million. That's not my understanding.

"First of all, getting £35million is going to be quite hard because he has not been playing, but Chelsea paid £29million on a seven-year contract. They're not just going to throw away that investment in the player," said Jacobs.

He continued:

"You don't sign a player like that unless you believe that they are going to be at the club for the long-term, and you don't fork out the best part of £30million if, a year on, you're going to sell him for just £6million more. Those reports, I'm told, are not true about a permanent sale."

Madueke registered 20 goals and 14 assists from 80 outings for PSV, prompting the Premier League giants to bring him to Stamford Bridge at the start of this year.