West Ham United are in the race for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher as the club prepares for the departure of Declan Rice.
What’s the latest on Conor Gallagher to West Ham?
According to talkSPORT, the Irons, alongside Newcastle and Crystal Palace have been alerted to the possibility of signing the £40m-rated Englishman.
The report details that the 23-year-old’s sale may be sanctioned as the 2021 Champions League winners attempt to raise funds to cut the size of the squad and finance Mauricio Pochettino’s summer rebuild.
The outlet also revealed that the west London recruitment team believes that British players will generate the most revenue and Gallagher hasn’t justified his inclusion for next season due to his inconsistency.
What would Conor Gallagher bring to West Ham?
The £50k-per-week man’s season at Chelsea had drawn a mixed reaction from the fan base.
On one hand, the engine has made the second most appearances (45) in all competitions for the club this season, showing he is a trustworthy and popular asset.
Conversely, he has also been accused of not being up to standard, with Darren Bent describing the player as looking like a "fish out of water" at Stamford Bridge.
However, although he has endured a tricky campaign, he has still shown he has top-flight pedigree outside of Chelsea.
For the 2021/22 season, the Epsom-born talent was loaned to Palace and tremendously excelled at Selhurst Park.
In 34 Premier League appearances, the six-cap international recorded 11 goal contributions and the highest average rating (7.09) in the squad, as per WhoScored.
This notified his parent club of his quality and the former Swansea man has been regularly picked by Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, and Frank Lampard since.
In a more settled and less-pressurised environment, Gallagher can perform and a move to the London Stadium could reignite his career.
This signing would mean that David Moyes could unearth his own Joelinton – an aggressive, relentless, and energetic box-to-box midfielder.
Indeed, as per FBref, the two are the most alike when it comes to every player across Europe's top five leagues.
That is showcased by the fact that both the aforementioned men rank within the top 9% in Europe’s top five leagues among their positional peers for blocks per 90, the highest 3% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, and the best 19% for progressive carries per 90.
This range of attributes displays both their defensive and offensive capabilities, and Gallagher could be an integral cog of the West Ham side across the pitch.
Described as “fantastic” by Potter, his commitment, work rate and willingness to run cannot be questioned, and in a similar setting to what he experienced in south London, he could be set to thrive again.