Chelsea planning talks with 23-year-old star set to enter last 18 months of current deal - Reports

Chelsea are reportedly planning to extend the contract of midfielder Conor Gallagher as he approaches the last 18 months of his contract.

The 23-year-old was deemed to be surplus to requirements during the summer, but he has flourished in the absence of captain Reece James and Ben Chilwell. Gallagher has also captained the Blues four times this season.

The midfielder has become a regular in Mauricio Pochettio's new-look side, making nine appearances across competitions, starting all but one of them. Pleased with his exploits, the Blues plan to sit down with his entourage for contract extension talks, as reported by the Daily Mail.

It's pertinent to note that the Englishman almost left the Blues this summer amid interest from West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, who failed with a £40 million offer. However, he has now become a key first-team regular in Pochettino's injury-stricken side.

Gallagher said after the Blues' 2-0 Premier League win over Fulham on Monday, October 2:

"It’s a really proud time for me to captain the club the few times I have. You know how much it means to me and how much I want to do well at Chelsea because it’s my club that I’ve supported my whole life.

"To captain the club for a few games is amazing, and I just want to keep trying to perform the best I can to help the team win games, so, hopefully, I can continue to do that."

Overall, the 23-year-old has made 54 appearances for the Blues across competitions, contributing three goals and an assist.

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Chelsea's Robert Sanchez nominated for Premier League Save of the Month award

Robert Sanchez

Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez has been nominated for the Premier League Save of the Month award for the month of September. The 25-year-old is one of six nominees for the award.

Sanchez earned the nomination for one of his saves made in the 1-0 league defeat to Aston Villa last month. When the game was goalless, the Spaniard made a fabulous double save to deny Lucas Digne and Nicolo Zaniolo.

Zaniolo looked certain to score from a point-blank range header, but Sanchez did brilliantly to tip the Italian's header over the bar, which earned Sanchez the nomination. The Spaniard was eventually helpless to deny Ollie Watkins' 73rd-minute winner, though.

Apart from Sanchez, the other five nominees are Jordan Pickford of Everton, Guglielmo Vicario of Tottenham Hotspur, Ederson of Manchester City, David Raya of Arsenal, and Liverpool custodian Alisson.