Arguably Crystal Palace's most prominent talking point after emerging from another Premier League season unscathed last year was the resounding success of loanee Conor Gallagher, who has been of transfer speculation to the Eagles ever since.

While Patrick Vieira assumed the managerial reins in an exciting arrival in the summer of 2021, replacing the sagely Roy Hodgson, he swiftly looked to rewrite the blueprint for success at Selhurst Park, issuing in a newfound fluidity and emphasis on slick, passing play.

However, this season concerns have been raised over the vigour of the current central crop at the club, with sports writer Tom Dutton lamenting the "struggling" midfield after a discernible decline in performance and energy following the break for the 2022 World Cup.

Indeed, Palace have won just one match from eight outings since the World Cup finale, a 2-0 home victory over newly-promoted Bournemouth, having scored just five goals in this period; despite this, the south London outfit perch in 12th place in the Premier League in relative safety.

And in order to achieve the level of performance that was certainly on show last term, clinching Gallagher on a permanent deal after his previous exploits with the Eagles would go a long way towards threading the team back together without seam.

According to 90min's Graeme Bailey, Palace were among the admirers for the ace in the closing stages of the January transfer window, with Everton submitting a £45m bid amid their own struggles for form, swiftly rejected by the Blues player.

And now, according to The Sun, Chelsea are set to offer their industrious midfielder a new bumper contract to tie him down to Stamford Bridge for the comings years, in a move that could sever the interest and cement his role within a burgeoning squad at Stamford Bridge.

Having made 26 outings this season, scoring a goal and an assist, the 23-year-old is swiftly asserting himself in Chelsea's affluent team, still evidently held in high regard and with a part to play despite the lucrative spending spree under the ownership of Todd Boehly.

And with his performances with the Eagles last season placing him into the conversation for the Premier League's most exciting young stars, a return could have been the catalyst for change under Vieira for the remainder of this season.

As per Sofascore, the "machine" - as lauded by Mark Duffy - recorded an average rating of 7.08 last term, scoring eight goals and providing three assists from 33 Premier League starts, averaging 1.5 shots and 1.1 key passes per game and completing 81% of his total passes, also making 2.0 tackles per match.

It is this level of all-encompassing output that Palace are sorely lacking, and despite signing 20-year-old midfielder Naouirou Ahamada from Stuttgart and loaning Sambi Albert Lokonga from Arsenal to find the swagger that was embedded within last year, Gallagher likely would have been the perfect fit.

Lokonga in particular could enhance the collective efforts of the fold, ranking among the top 3% of midfielders for pass completion and the top 10% for progressive passes, indicating a forward-thinking and slick game.

However, the "monster" Gallagher, as once dubbed by Dutton - is playing with far more regularity in a 'big six' outfit, and is also Premier League-proven following his performances with the Eagles last term.

The fact of the matter is, while Palace are currently safely above the flagging outfits at the bottom of the table, further lacklustre showings could result in their six-point gap diminishing, leaving a genuine danger of a late relegation battle.

And with Gallagher in the middle over a player of Lokonga's ilk, reigniting the fire and rekindling the intensity, Vieira would certainly feel more assurance over his side's prospects of success ahead of the business end of the campaign. Indeed, he would have been a signing to take them to the next level.

Alas, they will have to make do with a midfielder from a different London outfit; over to you Sambi.