Chelsea have ramped up discussions with Conor Gallagher about signing a new contract, according to report.
For quite some time, the club had been open to selling Gallagher, with reports in the summer that they were prepared to let the midfielder leave for around £50m.
However, it is now believed that the Blues are confident that an “agreement” over an extension can be reached with the 23-year-old and there is even a possibility that terms could be finalised before the end of December.
Multiple reports had suggested that the London club were willing to listen to offers for the England international before the start of the season.
West Ham had a bid rejected for Gallagher in July, while Tottenham attempted to make a late move to sign him before the transfer window shut at the start of September.
Yet, manager Mauricio Pochettino has picked him to start in every league fixture so far this season, and he has become an important part of the first-team squad.
Other Chelsea academy players could be sold in January
While Gallagher’s future seems to be with the Blues, other academy graduates may not be sticking around. Trevoh Chalobah is currently injured but the London club are said to be open to offers for the defender.
An option to extend Ian Maatsen’s contract for an extra 12 months has been triggered but it is still felt that the Dutchman will be sold next month if a satisfactory bid is made. The left-back turned down a transfer to Burnley in August but, due to a lack of game time, he is likely to be more willing to leave Stamford Bridge now.