Thankfully, the dominant conversation at this pivotal point in the season has shifted from transfers and contracts to actual football.

But with Chelsea off this week and the disappointment of our previous outcome still fresh in our minds, it was only going to be a period of planning for the summer.

Conor Gallagher’s new deal is something that most supporters would deem vital. Among the few players to leave this season with credit is him.

Although Gallagher “wants to stay at Stamford Bridge,” there haven’t been any “official talks over extending his deal,” according to Bobby Vincent’s story for Football.London. Unless the decision has already been taken to sell him as soon as the window opens, there is no reason why that would be the case.

For those of us who believe that the club must retain the endearing homegrown youth player, things are not looking bright.

Naturally, the board seems to have the opposite perspective. Their first goal is to sell Gallagher in order to recoup some much-needed funds in order to stay out of trouble with UEFA and the Premier League for excessive expenditure.

The management team did an excellent job of persuading a sizable portion of the fan base that Mason Mount had expressed a desire to go, and they also secured a competitive price for him. Even the most gullible Blues will be difficult to persuade, though, that in the course of a year, a second homegrown player resisted signing fair contracts and actively pursued a move.