West Ham United in for Conor Gallagher transfer amid Chelsea developments, Newcastle and Tottenham in frame
West Ham remain interested in signing Conor Gallagher as Chelsea are planning to “step up” attempts to sign him to a new deal, according to 90min.
The outlet reported via their website on 6 November that the Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino is a “huge fan” of the England midfielder and has “approved” the club’s plans to get a contract extension done before the January transfer window.
Although the 23-year-old still has two years left on his current deal the Hammers, along with Tottenham and Newcastle, are looking to take advantage of the situation if there is an opening.
West Ham made an offer of £40million in the summer but were rejected, with Chelsea interested in working on a contract extension at the time, but so far it hasn’t materialised.
Outside chance
If the Irons weren’t able to sign Gallagher when the Stamford Bridge hierarchy seemed intent on using him as a bargaining chip to balance their spending then the likelihood of him arriving now seems pretty small.
In the summer it wasn’t even clear if the former West Brom and Crystal Palace loanee would have much of a role after Frank Lampard had left and Pochettino had come in.
But, despite spending huge amounts to add Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugochukwu to a midfield that already contained Enzo Fernandez the Englishman has been a regular.
He’s started every Premier League game so far and regularly captained the side in the absence of Reece James, so while he would very much appear to be a player who might fit in well at West Ham, despite their own additions of James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez, it would be a surprise to see it happen.
Given he has established himself as a key man this season there seems little reason for him not to accept a new deal, but if he does stall then it is the only way the door would feasibly open for the Hammers.
Gallagher is the sort of player who probably has enough graft and domestic familiarity to be a David Moyes target, and enough talent and re-sale value for Tim Steidten to also be on board, so expect the club to remain in the frame unless or until an extension is signed.
In other West Ham news, Moyes is now expected to lose a power struggle behind the scenes at the London Stadium.