West Ham have made a £40m bid for Chelsea and England midfielder Conor Gallagher, who still has two years remaining on his contract. Chelsea may be willing to extend his contract, but any potential move would need to be driven by Gallagher himself. Despite this, Gallagher is currently on Chelsea’s tour of the USA and recently scored in their win against Brighton. Manager Mauricio Pochettino is planning for Gallagher to be part of the squad for the upcoming season. It is understood that Chelsea value Gallagher higher than £40m. West Ham is in search of midfielders following Declan Rice’s departure to Arsenal for £105m. They had a bid of £45m rejected by Fulham for Joao Palhinha and are interested in James Ward-Prowse from Southampton, Denis Zakaria from Juventus, and Edson Alvarez from Ajax. In June, Gallagher expressed his desire to remain at Chelsea and work with Pochettino.
In addition, West Ham is among the clubs monitoring the situation of Harry Maguire. The England international has attracted interest from Premier League teams and abroad after being told he would no longer be the captain of Manchester United. West Ham is considering a loan or permanent deal for the 30-year-old defender, but there may be concerns regarding his wages. Maguire’s future ultimately depends on his decision, as he is contracted to Manchester United until 2025. Keep up with the latest transfer news and rumors in Sky Sports’ dedicated Transfer Centre.