It's been another dreadful season of Premier League football for Chelsea this year; of that, there can be no doubt.
Mauricio Pochettino's side looked like they might've turned a corner after their dramatic win over Manchester United on Thursday night, but the draw with Sheffield United on Sunday stopped any talk of a turnaround.
There hasn't been much to cheer about for the fans this season, although the solidifying of Conor Gallagher's place in the team has at least given them something to cling to.
The talented midfielder has become one of the squad's most important members, so it's surprising to learn that he is earning three times less than a former flop used to.
Conor Gallagher's salary at Chelsea
Gallagher, a lifelong Blues fan, joined the club as a young boy, fought his way through the various youth sides and went out on loan a few times before finally getting his chance in the first team under Thomas Tuchel last season.
GK – Edouard Mendy
RB – Reece James
CB – Thiago Silva
CB – Kalidou Koulibaly
LB – Marc Cucurella
CM – Jorginho
CM – Conor Gallagher
RM – Ruben Loftus-Cheek
LM – Mason Mount
ST – Kai Havertz
ST – Raheem Sterling
It wasn't the best of debuts, and his return of just three goals and one assist in 45 appearances was far from remarkable either, but come the final day of the season, he had established himself in the squad.
That said, at several points last summer, it genuinely looked as if he was going to be sold, be that to West Ham United or Tottenham Hotspur, but with how well he has played this season, Todd Boehly and Co must be thanking their lucky stars that a transfer never materialised.
In his 41 appearances thus far, the 24-year-old has dramatically increased his output, scoring five goals, providing eight assists, and even taking the captain's armband for a considerable portion of the campaign.
Overall, the England international has become an essential part of Pochettino's squad, although that isn't reflected in his salary.
His £50k-per-week wages mean that there are 18 players earning more than him, and a former Chelsea flop used to earn more than three times as much as well.
Alvaro Morata's salary at Chelsea
The flop in question is Spanish striker Alvaro Morata, who signed for Antonio Conte's Chelsea for a whopping £60m in July 2017.
The then-24-year-old was just coming off an impressive season for Real Madrid, in which he had scored 20 goals and provided six assists in 43 appearances, so expectations were understandably high.
Unfortunately for all involved, the Madrid-born marksman failed to adjust to English football, and in his first year in Blue, he scored 15 goals and provided six assists in 48 appearances.
The 6 foot 3 forward didn't even last the full season in 2018/19.
Season
2017/18
2018/19
Appearances
45
24
Goals
15
9
Assists
6
0
Goal Involvements per Match
0.46
0.37
In January, he moved to Atlético Madrid on loan, where he would spend the next season and a half before finally sealing a permanent move to the side in June 2020, leaving Stamford Bridge with 24 goals and six assists in 72 appearances.
In all, the Spanish international spent 79 weeks in West London earning a whopping £170k-per-week before his loan move away, meaning that, combined with his £60m transfer fee, he cost the Blues a staggering £73.4m.
Transfer Fee
£60m
Total Wages
£13.4.6m
Total Cost
£73.4m
Appearances
72
Cost per Appearance
£1m
Goals
24
Cost per Goal
£3m
Assists
6
Cost per Assist
£12.2m
Goal Involvements
30
Cost per Goal Involvement
£2.4m
That means he cost the club around £3m-per-goal, £12.2m-per-assist, or £1m-per-appearance, which is hardly value for money.
Ultimately, it would be hard to describe Morata's move as anything other than a failure, regardless of the money, so the fact that he earned more than three times as much as Gallagher and had very little to show for it just makes the whole deal even worse.
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