Swansea City are poised to complete their third loan signing of the transfer window with the addition of Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.
The 19-year-old has spent the first half of the season at Charlton and played against the Swans in the Championship on January 2, when Steve Cooper’s side edged a 1-0 win.
But the looseness of the loan regulations allow parent clubs to recall their players and shift them on to somewhere they consider more beneficial.
In this case, the link between Cooper and Gallagher – who, like earlier loan arrivals Rhian Brewster and Marc Guehi, played under Cooper at England U17 level – is considered by Chelsea to be a big benefit.
There is also the fact that Gallagher is going from a relegation scrap with Charlton to a promotion-chasing campaign with the Swans, who are currently in seventh place in the table.
Gallagher had interest from Burnley and Norwich City, both of whom wanted to sign him permanently, and West Bromwich Albion were one of the Championship clubs hoping to take him on loan.
However Cooper’s presence at Swansea made the Liberty Stadium, Chelsea’s preferred destination for the highly rated Chelsea youngster.
Charlton were desperate to hang on to Gallagher and their manager Lee Bowyer admitted: “I’m disappointed.
“I didn’t see this coming if I’m honest, which makes it harder to take. We have to move on.”
Gallagher, one of the most promising players to emerge from Chelsea’s flourishing academy, has scored six goals for Charlton this season and was one of the south London club’s best performers.
Guehi, a 19-year-old Chelsea defender has joined Swansea on loan for the next 18 months, and Cooper also enabled club to borrow the 19-year-old forward Brewster from Liverpool.
Brewster, Guehi and Gallagher were all part of the England Under-17 squad that won the World Cup under Cooper in 2017.
On the way out is Swans goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt, who has joined Turkish top-flight club Genclerbirligi on a free transfer.
The Swedish international, who was out of contract this summer, will immediately link up with the Genclerbirligi squad ahead of their Super Lig fixture at Rizespor on Monday.
Nordfeldt made 47 appearances in all competitions during his four-and-a-half-year spell after moving from Dutch club Heerenveen.
The 30-year-old made four appearances this season – in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup – as he found game-time limited following the loan signing of Freddie Woodman from Newcastle United last summer.
