West Ham have tabled their first bid for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, as David Moyes seeks to rebuild his team’s midfield following the departure of Declan Rice to Arsenal.
Declan Rice joined Arsenal in a deal worth up to £105m earlier this month, and replacing the England international is among the top priorities of David Moyes ahead of the 2023/24 season. Moyes would ideally like to sign two replacements in the middle of the park, with the Hammers having held initial talks with Manchester United over the signing of Scott McTominay. However, early suggestions are that there is a big gap in valuation for McTominay.
Among West Ham’s other midfield targets is Conor Gallagher. Chelsea have reportedly rejected West Ham’s £42million bid including add-ons for Gallagher but are prepared to sell the midfielder this summer. The Irons are unwilling to table a higher bid for Gallagher with the Blues having slapped a £45million price tag on the player’s back.
Although the seven-cap England international is ready to leave his boyhood club, he has two years left on his contract and is considered a senior midfielder in Chelsea’s current roster following the departures of Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante earlier this summer.
Conor Gallagher would be a solid signing for West Ham
West Ham are actively looking to spend some of the money they have acquired from the recent sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal. However, considering Rice’s class and experience, it makes sense from the club’s perspective that they pursuing two midfielders to fill the void left by their former skipper.
Despite Chelsea revamping their midfield unit, Conor Gallagher has grown unsettled in recent months and is considering whether to leave the club permanently over a lack of playing time last season. He only started 18 Premier League matches in what was a torrid 2022/23 campaign for the Blues.
West Ham are looking to take advantage of Gallagher’s situation at Chelsea and lure him away to the London Stadium. The East London club will participate in the Europa League in the upcoming season, meaning the players are expected to have limited rest between continental and domestic games. Therefore, improving the starting XI as well as beefing up the squad depth is absolutely necessary, and a player like Gallagher would help in both areas.
Gallagher has decent Premier League experience and should ideally not take time to adapt at West Ham. The 23-year-old is a versatile player who can operate in central midfield, as a No.10 or out wide, which is certain to attract Moyes. Young and dynamic, the Englishman could walk straight into Moyes’ first XI and make a difference.
It remains to be seen whether West Ham raise their bid and meet Chelsea’s actual valuation of Gallagher.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
