West Bromwich Albion are close to signing Chelsea youngster Conor Gallagher on a season-long loan, according to Steve Madeley of The Athletic.
West Bromwich Albion Close to Signing Conor Gallagher on Loan
Long-Term Interest
The Baggies have held a long-term interest in the 20-year-old. Slaven Bilic has been keen to take the midfielder on loan throughout much of this summer.
However, they have faced competition from several clubs. It looked like he would be joining Crystal Palace on loan earlier this month, but the Eagles opted to sign Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi on loan instead.
Furthermore, both Leeds United and Aston Villa have been keen to sign Gallagher. According to the Daily Mail, newly-promoted Leeds were interested in signing him on a permanent deal.
However, it now looks like Gallagher will be moving to The Hawthorns on a season-long loan.
The 20-year-old enjoyed two successful loan spells in the Championship last season. His first, with Charlton Athletic, saw him score six goals and register two assists.
After impressing at The Valley, Gallagher moved up the Championship table, joining play-off chasing Swansea City. While he failed to score, he did put on six goals for his team-mates as Steve Cooper’s side reached the play-off semi-finals.
Potential to Be an Excellent Signing for the Baggies
The arrival of Gallagher has potential to be an excellent signing for the Baggies.
Slaven Bilic’s side lacked an attacking presence in the centre of midfield in their 3-0 defeat to Leicester City. While Gallagher is more of a box-to-box midfielder, he will certainly bring an extra presence to the Baggies’ midfield.
The 20-year-old will also fill the void left by Filip Krovinovic. The Croatian scored three goals and registered two assists last season, as the Baggies were promoted via automatic promotion.
Bilic is also close to shoring up his defence, as former Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic is close to joining.
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