Chelsea considering a January sale of Gallagher as they struggle to meet Premier League spending limits.

When the transfer window opens next month, Chelsea will consider offers for Conor Gallagher in order to free up funds for Mauricio Pochettino to strengthen other areas of his squad.

The England midfielder has 18 months left on his contract, and failure to reach an agreement in the coming weeks could result in his surprise departure midway through the season.

Gallagher has yet to be formally offered a new contract, and there is little indication that talks are progressing.

In an intriguing twist, some Chelsea figures are said to be arguing that selling the England midfielder makes financial sense due to the club’s struggles with Premier League spending rules and deficiencies elsewhere in the squad.

Pochettino is desperate to sign a striker and made a public plea for new players after yesterday’s 2-0 defeat at Everton, naming Ivan Toney and Napoli’s Victor Osihem as two of his main targets.

Chelsea are on the verge of breaching Profit & Sustainability Rules after spending £400 million last summer to bring their total outlay on new players in the last three transfer windows above £1 billion.

Gallagher, who came close to joining Tottenham last summer, has established himself as a regular starter under Pochettino this season, making 22 appearances and captaining the side on several occasions, but initial talks over a new contract have yet to progress to a formal offer.

Tottenham would be interested again if Gallagher was available, with Ange Postecoglou’s injury-plagued squad in need of reinforcements, according to Mail Sport.

Gallagher’s situation at Chelsea is complicated by his inflated accounting value as an Academy produced player, which means that a sale is immediately banked as profit in the club’s accounts, giving the club immediate spending power, whereas non-homegrown players’ accounting value is spread evenly over the term of their next contract.

Over the last two years, Chelsea have raised nearly £200 million by selling home-grown players such as Mount, Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Fikayo Tomori, Marc Guehi, Tino Livramento, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in a deliberate strategy that has kept them from breaking P&S rules.

Furthermore, Lewis Hall joined Newcastle on loan last summer in a deal that will be extended at the end of the season.

Chelsea are also wary of entering into protracted negotiations with Gallagher, which would reduce his value, after Mason Mount left for Manchester United last summer following a contract standoff.

Another complication is that the 23-year-old is reportedly unwilling to sign a long-term contract worth up to eight years, as Chelsea demands.

Chelsea held talks with Tottenham and West Ham about Gallagher last summer, but both clubs refused to meet Chelsea’s £45 million valuation, so a January sale would still come as a surprise given his excellent performances since then.

Selling Gallagher risks a backlash from Chelsea fans, given the club’s recent exodus of homegrown players and the fact that he joined at the age of eight.

However, Chelsea’s decision may be influenced by the club’s financial situation, as well as the fact that Pochettino’s squad is well stocked with midfielders, with Romeo Lavia and Carney Chukwuemeka having barely featured this season due to injury.