Vieira gives huge Crystal Palace transfer update on key midfield target and star player’s future

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira has opened up on the club’s attempts to sign midfielder Conor Gallagher, noting he is a ‘good player’ but there is no sign he will leave Chelsea this month.

The 22-year-old enjoyed a successful season-long loan with the Eagles last season, with his excellent form leading to Gallagher becoming a regular in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

The Eagles are keen to add quality reinforcements to their squad in the current window. But it seems that a deal for their former loanee is unlikely to happen at this stage.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Vieira said: “There are still two weeks to go and I hope we will manage to bring those players to help the teams to be more competitive.

“Conor did really well when he was with us last year and we will be interested in bringing good players to our club.

“Conor is a good footballer, but he’s a Chelsea and there’s no sign that there is the possibility for him to leave. So we can’t hope for something that we are not sure to get.

“That means for us it’s important to open our mind and look at possibility around and see what we can do.

“But again, we will bring the players that we strongly believe can help the team to compete better than what we are doing previously.”

Indeed, Gallagher was a top performer for Palace last season, scoring eight goals in 34 league appearances in a campaign that saw him win the club’s Player of the Season award.

Therefore, it’s unsurprising that Vieira has been doing all he can to get a deal for his former midfielder over the line.

Vieira gives Wilfried Zaha update after Gallagher disappointment

Crystal Palace’s key man, Wilfried Zaha, also sees his contract expire at the end of the season, with Vieira reiterating that the decision on a new deal lies firmly with the forward.

He added: “It’s always been clear that the decision is his.

“What’s important for me and the football club is for Wilfried to understand what he means to the football club and to the team.

“We will fight until he makes a decision.

“It’s important for us as a club to make him understand that we all want to go to the next level so the way we will build the team, build the club will be a positive sign for him.”

Zaha has been a key player since joining the Eagles in 2015.

Overall, he has scored 89 goals in 448 appearances, also contributing 76 assists, giving him an average of 0.37 goal contributions per game.

The 30-year-old has been in good form this season too. In all competitions, he has scored six goals in 18 outings, making him Palace’s current top goalscorer.

Tottenham have been heavily linked with a move for Zaha, so Vieira will be hoping that the English forward will sign a new deal in the coming weeks.

Given how important Zaha has been to the team, they would have a very difficult job on their hands to replace him.

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