West Ham: Moyes could sign exceptional £50m Ward-Prowse partner

West Ham could be onto a winner with this transfer…

West Ham United’s reinvestment of the mammoth fee recouped from the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal has been phenomenal.

Mohammed Kudus, Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse, and Konstantinos Mavropanos have all been added to the ranks at the London Stadium to help the fans quickly forget about the departure of their club captain.

Nevertheless, the Irons are reportedly still eyeing more signings…

What’s the latest West Ham transfer news?

According to Football Insider, the Hammers are weighing up a late-window offer for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher.

There has been ongoing speculation surrounding the midfielder’s future at Stamford Bridge, who are willing to let him leave for the right price.

It is understood that Gallagher’s “priority” is to cement himself as a valuable member of the Chelsea squad, but his role will be unclear once Romeo Lavia returns to full fitness.

Mauricio Pochettino is an admirer of the 23-year-old but accepts that his deal expires in 2025 and an exit cannot be ruled out.

Speaking after Chelsea’s 1-1 draw against Liverpool on the season’s opening day, the Argentine said: “In football, things can happen we cannot manage. At the moment, I am happy with him and his performance, he has two years on his contract.”

West Ham had a £40m offer rejected for the player at the end of July, with Tottenham Hotspur also interested in Gallagher. But, the Blues are only willing to listen to approaches of at least £50m according to Fabrizio Romano.

What are Conor Gallagher’s strengths?

The Gallagher conundrum at Chelsea is a subject that dramatically divides the west London faithful.

On one side, his supposed lack of technical elegance and footballing intelligence are two factors that make some question his influence. However, the counterargument is that whoever his manager has been in the Premier League, he has been regularly picked. Patrick Viera, Frank Lampard, Graham Potter, and Thomas Tuchel have all been in favour of the Englishman’s involvement.

Interestingly, the latter lauded Gallagher as “exceptional” and a “pleasure” to work with, whose “energy” and “work-rate” are two incredibly attractive traits.

This has continued under Pochettino, who has started the seven-cap international in all three Premier League games so far this term.

In the latest top-flight outing during Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over recently-promoted Luton, whilst operating from a deep-lying berth, Gallagher was very impressive.

He managed 95% pass accuracy, created a big chance, won five ground duels, and registered three interceptions and three tackles, as per Sofascore.

Moreover, the £50k-per-week man also ranks within the best 21% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive carries per 90 and successful take-ons per 90, to show he is still a valuable asset on the ball.

If a late move materialises, Gallagher could make a formidable midfield partner for Ward-Prowse, who has enjoyed a scintillating start to life at West Ham.

On his debut against Chelsea, the former Southampton skipper recorded two assists and carried on his sensational influence at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.

In the 3-1 win over Brighton, Ward-Prowse scored his first goal for the club, whilst also managing three accurate long balls and four interceptions. He has swiftly demonstrated that he is already a devastating component of David Moyes’ highly effective counter-attacking system.

While the former Saint could be the glue that binds the midfield together, Gallagher would be able to use that controlling figure to his advantage in order to bound forward into the attacking positions he loves to operate in.

Indeed, the post-Rice era is looking bright and could be further elevated by this possible arrival.