By Craig Scott

15th Sep, 2020 | 12:40pm

Leeds set to miss out on midfielder who's now likely to join PL rivals - reliable journalist

Leeds United and Aston Villa look set to miss out on the chance to sign Conor Gallagher from Chelsea, according to Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg.

The reporter wrote on his personal Twitter account on Monday afternoon that West Brom are “increasingly likely” to sign the 20-year-old midfielder on loan.

Gallagher spent last season on loan at both Charlton and Swansea in the Championship where he caught the eye of Premier League clubs with his impressive form in the midfield.

The England Under-21 international scored six goals and supplied 11 assists for both clubs while also helping Swansea reach the Championship play-offs in his half-season spell at the Liberty.

Leeds had reportedly been hoping to sign Gallagher on a permanent basis from Chelsea [Daily Mail].

However, it is understood that rather than being offloaded, the Blues are aiming to get Gallagher tied down to a new long-term contract before sending him out on loan to West Brom.

You can understand why Chelsea would do that because they will want to see whether or not the youngster can cut it in the Premier League before making any decisions on cashing in on him.

It’s clear that Gallagher can shine in the Championship but the Premier League is an unknown quantity for the ex-Swansea loan star with him yet to earn a first-team appearance for Chelsea.

Leeds could do with some extra depth in their midfield but would Gallagher have become a starter for Marcelo Bielsa?

With Mateusz Klich, Pablo Hernandez and Kalvin Phillips locked in as Bielsa’s starting midfield trio, we very much doubt it.

In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay has detailed what Leeds’ stance is on the latest Rodrigo De Paul development.