Crystal Palace have submitted an offer for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher as Patrick Vieira would like to bring him back to Selhurst Park, this time on a permanent deal.

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Times, who claim that Palace have made a £27m offer for Gallagher as Vieira aims to lure him back to Selhurst Park.

The club hopes that they can agree to a permanent deal instead of bringing the midfielder back for a second consecutive loan spell.

Vieira will hope to persuade Gallagher that a move could work out well for his World Cup chances, which starts in November.

It could be a Vieira masterclass

Palace have started off the Premier League season slightly better than expected given their fixtures. A loss to Arsenal in their opening match was followed by a credible draw against Liverpool at Anfield.

The first win against Aston Villa was well deserved and the club took a two-goal advantage against Manchester City at the weekend but eventually crumbled to lose 4-2.

The Frenchman has Palace playing well and they are not afraid to go toe to toe with the likes of Liverpool and City but adding in Gallagher could make a big difference to their midfield.

The 22-year-old spent an incredibly productive year on loan at the London side last season, scoring eight goals and grabbing a further five assists in 39 matches for the Eagles, meaning that if they could lure him back to Selhurst Park this summer, it would be a masterstroke from the recruitment team.

After all, this was a player who won the club's Player of the Season award last term and was also nominated for the PFA's Player of the Year. Clearly loved by everyone associated with the Eagles, this would be a real statement of intent and one remarkable way to end the transfer window.

it's not just his numbers that make him stand out but his versatility could be important to Vieira also, with Gallagher able to play effectively either further forward in a more attacking role or deeper if required in front of the back four.

Compared to positional peers in the top five European leagues, Gallagher ranks in the top 8% for dribbles completed (1.37 per match) and touches in the opposition box (2.93) and this is the main reason why he netted eight times last season.

Defensively, he won 44 tackles, made 43 interceptions, and applied a total of 783 pressures, exuding his ability to help the defence as much as possible.

Ex Sheffield United midfielder Mark Duffy described him as a “pressing machine” and his work rate is something Vieira will require if he aims to take Palace to a top-half finish.