Crystal Palace are set to step up their interest in Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher by making a bid for the youngster, according to The Sun.

What's the latest transfer news involving Gallagher?

Gallagher spent the 2020/21 season on loan at West Brom, and although the Baggies suffered relegation to the Championship, he impressed enough to catch the eye of Palace.

It is understood that the 21-year-old would like to fight for his place at Chelsea next year, but it appears that the Eagles want to test the waters, and are readying a £15m bid to try to tempt Gallagher away from Stamford Bridge this summer.

What were Gallagher's stats in 2020/21?

The central midfielder was a regular starter for West Brom this season, as he featured in 30 top-flight matches in total.

In those games he chipped in with four goal contributions, including netting the winner against Sheffield United back in November.

As per WhoScored, he registered more tackles (81) than any of his teammates and the entire Crystal Palace squad this term in the Premier League.

Have Palace tried to sign Gallagher before?

They have indeed, and they reportedly came very close to landing their man.

It was claimed last August that Palace were very interested in bringing Gallagher to Selhurst Park, and the prospect even had a medical at the club, suggesting that he was on the brink of joining Roy Hodgson's side.

However, the move fell through in the end, and the following month he secured a move to West Brom instead.

Would Gallagher be the ideal signing for Palace?

The Sun report refers to how Palace require more legs in their midfield next season, and that they view Gallagher as someone who can address this issue over the next few years. It is hard to argue with this assessment.

Palace's central midfield looks very thin at the moment, as they only have four players for this position, and that is set to become just three at the end of the month when James McCarthy's contract expires.

Therefore, they need to bring in reinforcements for this area of the pitch, and Gallagher could be the ideal signing to cover this role.

At 6 foot tall, Gallagher would add some physicality to Palace's midfield, and his tackling statistics indicate that he is not afraid to get involved in the thick of the action. Over the past year, he has shown that he belongs at Premier League level, and he is still only 21, so has plenty of room for improvement. 

Palace need to freshen up their midfield, and adding Gallagher to their ranks would be a positive step as they prepare for life under a new manager next season.