West Bromwich Albion could make their biggest move since clinching Matheus Pereira on loan this month, should things go their way.
According to the Daily Mail, the Baggies are one of three teams battling to sign Chelsea prodigy Conor Gallagher on loan.
The 19-year-old is currently on loan at league rivals Charlton Athletic, but it is believed he will cut short his time at The Valley, resulting in interest from Albion along with promotion hopefuls Swansea City and Premier League side Burnley.
Gallagher is one of Chelsea’s brightest prospects having won back-to-back FA Youth Cups for the Blues’ youth team, and this season he has stepped up to senior football by netting six goals and providing three assists, via Transfermarkt.
Even though Sean Dyche’s Clarets appear to be the front-runners, the Hawthorns would be a just as worthy destination with the league title a serious possibility.
Should Slaven Bilic pull out all the stops for the midfielder? Would it be a good temporary signing?
Here’s what some of the writers at Football FanCast think of the potential move…
Matt Dawson
“This could be the nail in the coffin for Rekeem Harper. The 19-year-old has struggled significantly for game time since signing a new deal last summer, playing just six minutes in the league and there must be a part of him wishing he’d walked away from the Hawthorns.
“However, that shouldn’t be seen as a bad thing. Albion have a plethora of options in midfield, namely Romaine Sawyers, Jake Livermore and Gareth Barry. All ageing midfielders, though, landing someone with useful exuberance and experience such as Conor Gallagher could be key. The Chelsea man has been vital at Charlton this season and has proven himself more than capable in the Championship. He’s registered eight goal involvements, as well as playing in four different positions for the Addicks.
“To beat Premier League sides to his signature would be a coup, but it could just give them the boost they need to go on and secure promotion even if it puts Harper at risk.”
Danny Lewis
“Signing Conor Gallagher on loan would be a brilliant acquisition for any Championship side, so West Brom should definitely attempt to make this happen. The 19-year-old has stood up and ensured he has been counted in a struggling Charlton Athletic side, recording six goals and two assists this term.
“More important than the goal contributions is the general impact he has across the pitch, with the recent loss against Derby County showing how much effort opposition players can make to stop his influence, as they fouled him four times. West Brom already have various midfield options who have excelled this season but considering they find themselves in a good position regarding their promotion push, it is worth them bringing Gallagher in to help get them over the line.”
Viji Jeevathayalan
“Such has been Conor Gallagher’s impressive displays this season for Charlton, that West Brom’s potential swoop for the midfielder could well be the catalyst for promotion success. Despite operating in a holding midfield role for the majority of the campaign (16 games), the Chelsea loanee has bagged six goals and three assists – to put that into context, he has found the back of the net just one less than both Slaven Bilic’s top-scorers this year, Charlie Austin and Matt Phillips.
“Gallagher would be a massive upgrade on what Bilic has at his disposal in the middle of the park, with Jake Livermore the real permanent fixture in that position. The 19-year-old has averaged more interceptions (0.9), dribbles (1.4) and key passes (0.8) per game compared to Livermore, and adds that extra little bit of dynamism going forward. Gallagher’s potential arrival could hold the key to promotion.”
Lewis Blain
“West Brom must do everything in their power to convince Conor Gallagher to join them, should he cut his current loan short at league rivals Charlton Athletic. The midfielder, who has been likened to Frank Lampard, has a big future and there’s no denying that barring injury or any unforeseen circumstances, he will become a star.
“The 19-year-old has scored six goals from the middle and has also provided three assists, rather impressive for someone that has started 16 of 25 games in defensive midfield.
“He could be the perfect box-to-box type to pull the Baggies over the line come May. This one’s a no-brainer, it’s just whether or not he would return to the second-tier given top-flight interest. Then again, Burnley isn’t the nicest place, is it?”
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