West Ham United could be set to raid London rivals Chelsea once again to sign Conor Gallagher, having only recently wrapped up a deal for Emerson Palmieri.

What's the word?

That's according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth - speaking to GIVEMESPORT - who revealed that the 22-year-old is of "interest" to those at the London Stadium, with a move potentially in the offing before the September deadline.

The transfer insider stated:

“One potentially to look out for, even though he did start the game for Chelsea against Leeds on Sunday, is Conor Gallagher. And I know West Ham United have got an interest in him. Whether Chelsea will allow that deal to happen is another matter, but it’s maybe one to keep an eye on.”

Reports earlier this month suggested that the Hammers were one of the Premier League clubs to have enquired about the availability of the England international, albeit with the midfielder reportedly set to cost in the region of £50m.

Moyes needs him

A move could also prove tricky with the former West Bromwich Albion loanee having only recently started in the Blues 3-0 defeat to Leeds United, with manager Thomas Tuchel seemingly keen for the youngster to have a place in his squad this season at Stamford Bridge.

With the likes of N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho to contend with for a starting berth, however, Gallagher could well find it difficult to nail down a regular role for the west London outfit, with that perhaps something of a concern with the World Cup fast approaching.

At West Ham, however, the £22.5m-rated ace would find a club and a manager who are in desperate need of him, with David Moyes seemingly lacking quality midfield depth at present beyond that of the first-choice pairing of Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek.

In need of a new addition to freshen up the squad and provide genuine competition to the two men noted above, the former Everton boss appears to have his eyes set on adding the Epsom-born menace to his ranks before the window slams shut.

The £32k-per-week man has proven himself a relentless, all-action midfield presence of late, notably starring on loan at Crystal Palace last term under Patrick Vieira.

Dubbed a "manager's dream" by the Frenchman, the 6 foot sensation scored eight goals and provided three assists during that spell at Selhurst Park, with such form also seeing him force his way into Gareth Southgate's plans at international level.

A true "box-to-box midfielder", in the words of Zach Lowy, the one-time Swansea City man has impressed with his ability to surge forward from deep and his willingness to make an impact in the final third, notably ranking in the top 8% for dribbles completed and touches in the attacking penalty, among those in his position across Europe's top five leagues.

Also labelled a "pressing machine" by Mark Duffy, the youngster also ranks in the top 7% for pressures made, with the aforementioned pair of Rice and Soucek ranking in just the bottom 9% and 11% respectively, in the same metric.

That solid foundation has been integral to the club's rise in recent seasons, although it could well be time for a fresh face to set the cat amongst the pigeons, with the Irons badly in need of Gallagher's arrival after three defeats from three in the league thus far.