Chelsea are reportedly keen to agree a new contract with midfielder Conor Gallagher as soon as possible.
Gallagher endured a mixed first campaign in the Chelsea first-team squad, becoming a first-team regular but with many of his appearances coming from the substitutes' bench.
As a result of not making an overwhelming impact under a variety of different managers, it was widely reported during the summer that Chelsea were ready to cash in on his services.
Co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital were in need of boosting the club's FFP position and Gallagher was an obvious option due to the club being able to generate pure profit from the sale of an academy graduate.
However, despite being heavily linked with other Premier League teams, Chelsea ultimately retained his signature, a decision backed by head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
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Since then, the club's head coach has made Gallagher one of the most important members of his squad, with the 23-year-old notably being made third-choice captain.
Furthermore, Gallagher has started each of Chelsea's 11 Premier League fixtures - one of three outfield players to do so alongside Thiago Silva and Levi Colwill.
According to 90min, Boehly and Clearlake have now changed their stance over Gallagher, the intention now being to hand him a new long-term contract.
Up until now, they have allegedly remained open to parting ways with Gallagher, realistically during the summer transfer window to prevent him running down his contract.
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Instead, negotiations are expected to be opened before the end of the year with Chelsea now keen to prevent any offers being proposed in January.
The report adds that Pochettino continues to be impressed by Gallagher behind the scenes and that the player feels valued by his head coach.
In total, Gallagher has now made 34 starts and 25 substitute outings in all competitions, scoring three goals and providing four assists.
Gallagher's latest assist came on Monday night as he completed the 90 minutes during Chelsea's 4-1 triumph over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Darren Plant
