Chelsea legend John Obi-Mikel has criticised the club and how they have handled Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah this summer.
It’s been well-documented that Chalobah is up for sale this summer, with the 25-year-old currently training with the academy squad.
The likes of Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Newcastle have all been linked with the Chelsea defender, but he’s yet to agree terms with any of those clubs.
Earlier this week, Gallagher was on the cusp of signing for Atletico Madrid, although that move has since been put on hold.
As Gallagher came through the club’s academy system, his sale would be categorised as pure profit on the balance sheet which would benefit Chelsea from a financial perspective.
However, Obi-Mikel isn’t a fan of how Chelsea have been doing their business especially when it comes to selling Gallagher and Chalobah.
“Of course, two young boys that bleed blue, exactly,” he told The Obi One podcast. “Through and through. At the club when they were little boys and now we have to sell them to make sure it balances the books.
“Then it comes down to the owners just spending way too much money and buying everybody that’s got a price tag on [them]. Just spending way too much money, buying way too many players we don’t need.
“Now, you have to sell, for me the best player last season apart from Cole Palmer, [which] was Conor Gallagher.
“He was the only player you could see was putting in effort, running and putting in the performances that was needed to be at the club, you know what I mean.
“For me, I think he should still be at the club. Also Chalobah as well for me when he came back from his injury. He was the best centre-back we had. I don’t think we lost a game when he came back, or probably one or two or something like that.
“But he was absolutely fantastic when he came back from injury and he played all the games.
“Poch trusted him and brought him into the team and he played all the games, he was absolutely fantastic. Now we have to sell those two players to balance the books.
“Two young players who bleed Chelsea, and now you have to sell them to balance the books. I just think it’s bad business from the owners. Absolutely bad business from the owners.
“Now, we’ve lost two fantastic players! I think ‘is Chalobah going to improve the team?’ of course! Hell yeah! Is Conor Gallagher going to improve the team? For me, yes.
“When he played, towards the end of the season when he played with [Moises] Caicedo, the energy that he has, for me, we need that. We definitely need that.”
