Newcastle United have reportedly asked Chelsea about possibly signing Conor Gallagher this summer.
That’s according to 90min, who claim that the Magpies are one of three Premier League teams to inquire about the midfielder. The other two teams named are West Ham United and Crystal Palace.
The latter know all about Gallagher, having signed him on loan last summer. It didn’t take him long to impress at Palace last season, with TalkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara calling the youngster ‘different class‘ after just his third appearance in a red and blue shirt.
He excelled at Selhurst Park, earning international recognition with England too. Now Gallagher is back at Chelsea, and there was very much a Gallagher-shaped hole in Palace’s midfield as they lost 2-0 to Arsenal on Friday night.
In contrast, Newcastle’s midfield played brilliantly against Nottingham Forest. But that doesn’t mean Gallagher wouldn’t be a good acquisition.
However, a deal might be difficult at this stage.
Chelsea keen to keep Conor Gallagher at the moment
90min state that Thomas Tuchel’s side do not want to lose Gallagher at this moment on time, either on loan or permanently. They add that 22-year-old is also keen to fight for his place at Stamford Bridge.
He actually made his Chelsea debut on Saturday, coming off the bench late on in the 1-0 victory away to Everton.
However, 90min add that the situation could change before the transfer window closes in a few weeks. Gallagher’s feelings may change depending on how much he plays, while Chelsea are still in the market for more signings.
They reportedly want to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona, which would push Gallagher further down the pecking order.
It would be a shame for the English midfielder, but being forced towards the exit door could light up black and white eyes in the North East.
Newcastle have tried to sign Gallagher before
The Magpies being interested in Gallagher is nothing new, however. He was a regular target during Steve Bruce’s tenure as manager.
The current Baggies boss often had to look at the loan market due to a lack of funding from then owner Mike Ashley. And Bruce tried to bring in Gallagher temporarily – not once, but twice.
The first attempt came in the summer of 2020, but he went to West Brom instead. And the second effort came last summer, shortly before Ashley’s ownership came to an end.
Newcastle were reportedly hopeful of a deal, but Gallagher ended up going to Crystal Palace. That was a real blow given how well he did in Patrick Vieira’s side.
It would be fantastic if it was third time lucky for the Magpies, as Gallagher would be an exceptional addition to Eddie Howe’s squad.