Thomas Tuchel makes promise to Conor Gallagher after 'thankful' Crystal Palace statement

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has promised to give Conor Gallagher the chance to fight for his place after the pair had a meeting at the end of the season.

That's according to football.london, who reported that Gallagher was keen to stay at Chelsea and work his way into the first-team, and Tuchel has assured the midfielder that he will be given the opportunity to do so. The Chelsea star has flourished on loan at Crystal Palace this season, and has since been called up to the England squad.

Palace fans would have been wishing for Gallagher to stay, but the midfielder penned an emotional farewell to his Instagram, signalling the end of his stay at Selhurst Park. And it appears that a meeting with Tuchel may have helped the midfielder make up his mind.

Gallagher has impressed this season after establishing himself as a Premier League midfielder, but despite his rise there are no assurances that he will be thrown into the mix at Chelsea. With the likes of N'golo Kante, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek all battling for two midfield spots.

But Tuchel has promised Gallagher the opportunity to prove himself, and although upsetting for the Palace fans, it does prove just how useful the loan system can be. Gallagher was extremely thankful to Palace for giving him the opportunity this season, and wrote on Instagram: "I'm so proud to have been part of this team which was a very successful season in the league and getting to Wembley for the FA Cup semi-final was amazing.

"From my first contact with Patrick Vieira, he's been brilliant with me and helped me develop into a better player, for which I can't thank him enough. The players and staff have made me feel like I've been here for years and the fans have made