Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing Conor Gallagher this month, and will soon find out if they can according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The Chelsea midfielder is a man in demand this month, and could be on course for a Stamford Bridge departure. Crystal Palace have been linked with the 22-year-old, after he excelled on loan at Selhurst Park last season.
Now Newcastle are in the mix too. The Telegraph reported on Monday that Eddie Howe is looking at three of Graham Potter’s players, one of which is Gallagher. The other two are Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Hakim Ziyech.
Newcastle are currently looking to sign a centre-midfielder, with Jonjo Shelvey currently on the sidelines. Bruno Guimaraes is also out of action, although he is not set to be out for a lengthy period.
Therefore, the Magpies are looking for reinforcements, as they aim to strengthen their bid to finish in the top four. Getting Gallagher would certainly be a boost, and now Romano has provided information on when a decision over his future could be made.
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When Newcastle will find out if Conor Gallagher is available
Romano has been speaking to Caught Offside, and provided some details on Chelsea’s stance regarding Gallagher leaving the West London club.
“Interest is genuine and strong by both Newcastle and Crystal Palace since July, but it’s up to Chelsea,” he said.
“They will make a decision on many players in the next days, including Gallagher. Potter remains big fan of his potential but it has to be club decision together with the coach.”
In the coming days we should find out if Chelsea are willing to let Gallagher leave. However, the Magpies might still struggle to do a deal even if he does become available.
If Gallagher is allowed to leave Chelsea, it will most likely be on loan. And if that is the case, surely they would prefer to send him to Palace.
While the Blues might be well off the pace right now, they will still have hope that they can qualify for the Champions League. Therefore, it would perhaps be unwise to strengthen a top four rival in Newcastle.
In contrast, Palace are not going to threaten Chelsea’s ability to qualify for Europe’s elite competition – even if they are only six points behind them with a game in hand.
Gallagher would be an ideal addition to this Newcastle side, even if he underwhelmed when he played at St James’ Park late last year. He is young, talented, and has the Premier League experience that Howe craves. He is ready to hit the ground running.
However, it is difficult to see Chelsea doing a deal with the high-flying Magpies. They won’t want to make Newcastle stronger than they already are.