Newcastle United and Crystal Palace are eyeing a move for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, who is available on loan this summer.
If reports from The Sun are to be believed, Chelsea have given Conor Gallagher the green light to leave Stamford Bridge. The midfielder is available in the market, though only for a loan deal, as the Premier League giants do not intend to sell him permanently.
It has, nonetheless, put two English clubs in Newcastle United and Crystal Palace on red alert. Gallagher’s priority is to remain at Stamford Bridge in order to impress Thomas Tuchel and fight for a place in the first team. But it appears his chances will be limited due to the stiff competition in the midfield unit.
If Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic weren’t enough, Chelsea have been linked with a fresh bid for Declan Rice. The Englishman’s potential arrival could further reduce Gallagher’s importance at the club, so a temporary move away from west London seems to be the best option for the youngster.
The 21-year-old did make quite an impression during his season-long loan spell at West Brom last season. He became one of the midfield lynchpins for the club, alongside fellow loanee Ainsley Maitland-Niles, ending the campaign with 30 league appearances. Unfortunately, the midfielder wasn’t able to prevent the Baggies from getting relegated.
That hasn’t stopped English clubs from flocking in to secure the services of the youngster. Gallagher was already a hot topic of discussion at Leeds United this summer, but it appears the Whites are more interested in a permanent deal.
It leaves Crystal Palace and Newcastle United in pole position. The Eagles, in particular, are bracing themselves for an exciting summer ahead under the tutelage of Patrick Vieira. On the other hand, the Toons have shown a lot of ambition and are one of the clubs, along with Liverpool, who are in contention to sign Boubacar Kamara.
Their interest in Conor Gallagher, though, stems from their failure in the pursuit of Joe Willock. The Arsenal star was NUFC’s top target this summer, but the Gunners are keen on keeping hold of the midfielder due to his incredible performances in the second half of last season.
As for Chelsea, they are preparing themselves to offload a multitude of unwanted players following the recent departure of Olivier Giroud to AC Milan. It remains to be seen whether Gallagher becomes the next player to leave Stamford Bridge, following the permanent exit of fellow academy graduate Marc Guehi, who completed a move to Crystal Palace.
