Pochettino 'CAN'T guarantee' Gallagher will still be a Chelsea player in January

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino admitted he could not guarantee that his club captain Conor Gallagher would still be at the club by the end of the window.

Gallagher has become a key player for the Blues under the Argentine this season - starting 19 times and providing four assists - but the Chelsea youth prospect has emerged as one of few players who could depart Stamford Bridge this month.

Mail Sport's Sami Mokbel reported this week that Tottenham were a shock team Gallagher could join, saying the deal 'has got legs' after Spurs were linked with the player last summer.

Mokbel confirmed on It's All Kicking Off that Chelsea would see his transfer as 'pure profit' as he emerged from the academy, which would allow them to spend more on incomings to get around Financial Fair Play rules.

And as speculation continues to grow that Gallagher could be one of the Blues stars sacrificed this month, Pochettino was forced to bat away questions quizzing on him over his future ahead of their FA Cup third-round clash against Preston.

'We need to talk about many things but it is clear Conor [still has] a one and a half year contract with us. Nothing to announce, nothing to say. The club is happy with him, he is happy here.'

But when pressed further if he could say for certain whether Gallagher would stay during this transfer window, Pochettino was more cryptic - insisting he could not even guarantee that he himself would stay at the club.

'Look, I cannot guarantee I will be here tomorrow! In football, different things can happen. [There are] decisions between the club and player. Only the player can guarantee or the club. The player more than the club as the player have one year and half more.

'[Gallagher] can say "I will be here because my