West Ham United transfer news: Update emerges on quest to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher
West Ham will not be signing Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher this month, according to the reliable Hammers news outlet West Ham Football.
They contradicted Dan Kilpatrick’s claims on the Sky Sports podcast and shared that the England international will not be moving to the London Stadium this month.
The 23-year-old has been the captain for Chelsea this season as he’s emerged as one of Mauricio Pochettino’s more reliable players.
Via Twitter, the news outlet reported: “West Ham will NOT be signing Conor Gallagher this January!
“Evening Standard journalist Dan Kilpatrick had suggested the Hammers could be set to challenge Spurs for Gallagher’s signature this month but that is not the case.
“He told the Sky Sports Transfer Talk Podcast that West Ham may be willing to pay as much as £40 million for the 23-year-old by saying: ‘It will be interesting to see what happens with Gallagher this month. Spurs and possibly West Ham would pay £30m or £40m for him. I’m sure the Chelsea owners would like that, but I think Pochettino would hate that, so keep an eye on that one’.”
Good news
The news that the Irons will not be signing Gallagher this month is actually a positive development for the club.
The Hammers already boast a strong midfield lineup with the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez, Tomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta performing well.
The presence of these players has contributed to West Ham’s success, making the addition of another midfielder less of a priority.
Moreover, the reported price tag of £30million to £40million for Gallagher is deemed excessive, especially when considering the existing midfield talent at West Ham.
This decision aligns with a prudent financial strategy, focusing on maintaining a balanced squad rather than making an expensive acquisition in an area where the team is already well-equipped.
If that kind of money is there to be spent this month, which is unlikely, David Moyes would want that being allocated to a striker or wide attacker.