Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher could make a loan return to Crystal Palace after being told he won’t be allowed to join any Premier League rival.

The England star had been linked with a move to Newcastle, but the Blues are unwilling to allow the player to join one of their direct competitors, with the Magpies well ahead in the race for a Champions League spot. 

Palace are also in talks to sign out-of-favour Belgian midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga from Arsenal , with Patrick Vieira dipping into the loan market to shore up his midfield. 

Conor Gallagher could be set for a reunion with Patrick Vieira at Crystal Palace 

Gallagher was arguably Palace’s best player last season during his loan spell at the club, and had looked set for a more regular role at Chelsea this term. 

However he has struggled for regular minutes under Graham Potter, and averages just 41 minutes  per appearance from his 18 Premier League outings. 

The 22-year-old has scored just once for the Blues this term, a long-range effort that came against the Eagles in a 14-minute cameo back in October. 

Potter’s side are also in a protracted move to bring Benfica’s World Cup winning star Enzo Fernandez to Stamford Bridge, which would create even greater competition for minutes at the club. 

Gallagher was one of Palace’s best players last season, scoring eight and assisting three in the Premier League

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Gallagher thrived under Patrick Vieira last season and earned a first England call-up

Fernandez’s deal to Chelsea has continued over almost four weeks, and given the £105million fee that the club will need to fork out for the young Argentine, it is likely that he will come straight into the first team. 

Gallagher thrived under Vieira with his seemingly incessant energy bringing drive and tempo to the Eagles’ midfield. 

The 22-year-old scored eight goals and assisted a further three in 34 league games in a successful loan spell that saw him impress Gareth Southgate enough to earn his first England call-up in November 2021. 

The French World Cup winner has been vocal of his side’s need to strengthen in midfield

Vieira has been vocal in his club’s need to strengthen in the middle of the park, and has had a £10.5m fee for Stuttgart’s French Under-18 international Naouirou Ahamada accepted and the player undergoing a medical on Monday. 

Moves for Lokonga and Gallagher would certainly achieve that goal, and would bring technical ability and energy to the Palace midfield. 

Everton had submitted a £45m bid for the player less than an hour after appointing Sean Dyche as their manager on Monday, but the move was not thought to develop into any deal, according to Sportsmail’s Transfer Confidential.  

Everton submitted a £45million bid for the midfielder within an hour of appointing Sean Dyche