Finding a replacement for N'Golo Kante might have been a daunting task for Mauricio Pochettino when he first arrived at Chelsea.
But the Blues boss, who arrived in the summer, might have stumbled across the perfect solution - without spending a penny.
Conor Gallagher has turned his Chelsea career around after nearly being sold in the summer transfer window and now is an integral part of the squad.
And while stepping into Kante's boots at Stamford Bridge is no easy task for any player of any ilk - the 23-year-old is on the right path.
Chelsea truly suffered last season without the midfield destroyer mopping up danger, finishing 10th as new owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital walked into a baptism of fire.
Kante was restricted to just six starts in the Premier League due to ongoing injury problems with his hamstring and groin.
The season before, he proved crucial to Chelsea's Champions League success as he put in man-of-the-match performances against Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid en route to the final.
Pep Guardiola could not foil the Frenchman as he made mincemeat of Manchester City's attacking force in the final, as Kai Havertz's solitary goal was enough to upset the odds.
The absence of Kante, then, in such a volatile season for Chelsea proved to be one of the catalysts for their fall from grace that saw Thomas Tuchel and then Graham Potter sacked.
Boehly went big on a replacement, bringing in Enzo Fernandez in January and Moises Caicedo in the summer for combined fees of £222million.
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However, Gallagher has been the one to step up this season and become a fan favourite due to his hearty attitude and non-stop battery - sound familiar?
And the stats show that the England international is on course to match Kante - and could even take him over in the future.
Considering arguably Kante's best season at Chelsea in 2020/21, he had some of the best stats for possession won (8.14) and interceptions (2.48) in the Premier League per 90 minutes.
Gallagher, meanwhile, has won possession 7.38 times per 90 minutes in the Premier League and has made 1.65 interceptions per 90 minutes - not especially far off Kante's superhuman stats two years ago.
However, it might come as a surprise to see that the Chelsea academy graduate has won more duels per 90 minutes than Kante that season, winning 6.25 compared to Kante's 5.41.
The youngster is completing 53.75 passes per game currently in the Premier League, compared to Kante, who made 49.69 in 2020/21 and Gallagher has four assists - the same as his old teammate already in less than half a season.
While Gallagher is playing more of an offensive role in Pochettino's set-up, it is just another indicator that the ex-Crystal Palace loanee is ready to become the all-action man.
There are still rumours that Chelsea could be ready to sell Gallagher to make back some of the money they have lavishly spent recently.
And with Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku to return to fitness still, there is plenty of competition for midfield spots, though the latter could play in a more advanced role.
There has also been little movement on contract talks with Gallagher's current deal expiring at the end of next season.
But keeping hold of the Epsom-born star could give Chelsea the security Kante provided so well for so many years.
Chelsea yet to find the special player like Kante after the French star switch to Arabia league last summer transfer window
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