Conor Gallagher spent the 2021/22 season on loan at Crystal Palace, scoring eight goals in 39 games; the midfielder has made 24 appearances for Chelsea this season and started in their win over the Eagles on Sunday; other Premier League sides are also interested in Gallagher
Tuesday 17 January 2023 14:49, UK
Crystal Palace are among a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing Chelsea's Conor Gallagher.
There are suggestions the England midfielder could leave Stamford Bridge this month - possibly on an initial loan - as Chelsea continue to add to their squad in January.
The Blues have already signed five new players this month and still want to strengthen in midfield and at right-back if they can.
Sky Sports News has been told a firm decision on whether Gallagher can leave Chelsea has not yet been made by the club.
Palace - who are actively looking to strengthen in midfield and at right-back themselves this month - had Gallagher on loan last season, when the 22-year-old scored eight goals in 39 games.
Gallagher's return would boost Patrick Vieira's side, who have struggled since the World Cup, losing four of their five matches - and failing to score in three of those.
In contrast to Chelsea, Palace are yet to strengthen in January.
Speaking to Sky Sports News ahead of Crystal Palace's game against Man Utd on Wednesday, Vieira said: "There's still two weeks to go and I hope we will manage to bring those players to help the teams to be more competitive.
"Conor did really well when he was with us last year and we will be interested in bringing good players to our club. Conor is a good footballer, but he's at Chelsea and there's no sign that there is the possibility for him to leave so we can't hope for something that we are not sure to get.
"That means for us it's important to open our mind and look at possibilities around and see what we can do. But again, we will bring the players that we strongly believe can help the team to compete better than what we are doing previously."
Gallagher's form at Selhurst Park last season earned him a place in the England squad and he has gone on to win four caps.
The midfielder was included in Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad but failed to get off the bench in any of his side's five matches.
Gallagher has made 24 appearances for Chelsea this season after returning from his loan spell at Palace, but only 10 of those have been starts, while he has just one goal to his name - a late winner at Selhurst Park in October.
Competition for places at Stamford Bridge is fierce, with 15 new players being signed since Todd Boehly's consortium bought the club last summer.
Gallagher is battling with Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Carney Chukwuemeka and new signing Andrey Santos for a place in midfield, while N'Golo Kante and Denis Zakaria will provide Graham Potter with even more options once they return from injury.
Who will be on the move this winter? The January transfer window opens on Sunday January 1, 2023 and closes at 11pm on Tuesday January 31, 2023.
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
