Chelsea reject £40m bid from West Ham United for Conor Gallagher

Chelsea have turned down a bid from West Ham United for England international Conor Gallagher, reports the Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg.

Gallagher has been at Chelsea since he was eight years old, joining the academy in 2008. He spent 11 years in the youth ranks before earning his first professional contract with the club in 2019.

The midfielder spent his first three seasons out on loan, joining Charlton Athletic, Swansea City, West Bromwich Albion, and Crystal Palace. It was at the latter where he began to make a name for himself, scoring eight Premier League goals and winning the club’s Player of the Season award.

During his time with the Eagles, he also worked his way into the England senior team, winning his first cap in November 2021. He has since made seven appearances for the Three Lions, and was part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for last year’s World Cup in Qatar.

Last season, Gallagher was given an opportunity to make his mark at Chelsea. He featured 45 times in all competitions, scoring three.

Some believed that new manager Mauricio Pochettino would give the 23-year-old a chance to prove himself at Stamford Bridge this term. However, recent reports suggest that he has been deemed surplus to requirements, and will be sold in the coming weeks.

According to the Guardian’s Jason Steinberg, West Ham United have seen their opening bid rejected for the former Swansea loanee. The offer was reported to be £37 million up front, with a further £3m in add-ons.

Following the nine-figure sale of star man Declan Rice to Arsenal, the Hammers have plenty of money to play with in the market. They are yet to make a signing in the current transfer window.

A bid for relegated midfielder James Ward-Prowse has apparently been submitted. Meanwhile, Steinberg also claims that they are interested in Manchester United’s Scott McTominay.

The east Londoners will be desperate to bring in a replacement for Rice, having found themselves in a relegation battle last term. They ended the campaign in 14th place, six points above the drop zone.

However, David Moyes’ men will find it difficult to sign a new midfielder for good value. Selling clubs know that they have money to spend, and are desperate for new faces in the middle of the park. As a result, they will demand a premium for their assets.

West Ham kick off the new season with a trip to Bournemouth on August 12. Their first home game comes against Chelsea on the following weekend.