Tom Barclay reckons that Newcastle wanted to sign Conor Gallagher from Chelsea this summer.

The 21-year-old was on the back of his first season in the Premier League with West Brom but ended up making the short move across London to join Crystal Palace on loan for the campaign.

What's the latest news with Gallagher?

Gallagher has played less than 40 games in the Premier League, but he already looks at home at this level.

This season alone, he's already scored twice, a brilliant brace in the draw with West Ham and has one assist to his name against Tottenham.

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ENTER GIVEAWAY

Furthermore, Gallagher won the penalties against Spurs and Brighton, both of which were dispatched by Wilfried Zaha, meaning the youngster has been involved in five of the eight goals Palace have scored this season.

Newcastle have also scored eight times but are lacking someone with the quality from both in play and dead ball situations like Gallagher possess.

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And when asked about his brilliant form for Palace this season, The Sun journalist revealed that the Mapgies were one of several sides trying to sign Gallagher in the recent summer window.

What did Barclay say?

He told GIVEMESPORT: "I know that they were very keen on Gallagher in the summer. Leeds were specifically very close, but Newcastle were interested, although he obviously chose Crystal Palace in the end.

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"It's a new regime at Newcastle now, so whether or not former targets crossover into what the new regime want, I don't know."

Did Newcastle miss the boat?

It appears that way. They're in desperate need of someone with quality in the central areas to provide support in the final-third for Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson, and Gallagher would have slotted nicely into their midfield department.

Newcastle have generally been lining up with Joe Willock in the attacking midfield role this season, but the former Arsenal man is yet to produce the kind of goalscoring form that convinced the hierarchy at St James' to pay the Gunners £25m for his services – and is still yet to get off the mark.

With that in mind, had Newcastle signed Gallagher instead, his brilliant early-season form might just have them in a higher league position than 19th.