An update has emerged on Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, regarding Newcastle's interest in his services.

What's the talk?

According to The Sun, Newcastle are battling it out with Crystal Palace to land Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher on a season-long loan.

Both clubs are looking to snap him up following his impressive loan spell with West Brom in the Premier League last season. The report also states that Chelsea are not interested in selling him and a loan is the only option for Newcastle.

Forget Willock

Newcastle are reportedly keen on signing Joe Willock from Arsenal, but as it stands they do not have the requisite funds to land him on a permanent deal. This means that their pursuit of the midfielder could be all but over and they will need to look elsewhere in the market to strengthen the middle of the park, which is where Gallagher comes into play.

It is time to forget about Willock and start concentrating on the prospect of the 21-year-old Blues ace arriving at St. James' Park.

He was in a difficult situation at The Hawthorns as Sam Allardyce's side were scraping for survival throughout the campaign, eventually succumbing to demotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking, and that made it tricky for him to stand out.

However, he rolled his sleeves up and showed that he can be a combative nuisance in midfield at the top level. The youngster averaged 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game for the Baggies, proving that he can get about the pitch to break up the play and win the ball back.

Whilst he was on loan at Swansea previously, Sky Sports pundit Keith Andrews lavished praise on the midfielder and his "unbelievable" energy. He called him the 'classic No 8' in the sense that he can make an impact in both boxes.

He said: "But the one thing he has got is a fantastic engine, much like Lee Bowyer or Frank Lampard - it's amazing, the resemblances between those two in their younger years particularly. But for me, he's a classic No 8; he has an unbelievable energy, he does the ugly side of the game, but you have to let him off the leash and let him get forward."

The £17k-per-week beast could, therefore, be a great addition to Bruce's squad and strengthen his options in midfield. This is why the former Villa boss would love to bring Gallagher in on loan as he could add some steel to their side to attack the Premier League next season.

AND in other news, Ashley must sanction NUFC deal for “tremendous” £38k-p/w powerhouse, Bruce needs him...