Atletico
Madrid have set Conor Gallagher a deadline to decide whether he will join
the Spanish club after a £34m fee was agreed with Chelsea.
Gallagher has been told he will only be a squad player under Enzo Maresca,
with the new boss favouring a possession-heavy style of play at Chelsea.
Gallagher turned down a new contract offer from Chelsea on Wednesday, with
this latest deal - made up of two years plus the option of another -
following another extension offer he rejected in June. However, the
midfielder remains open to agreeing a new long-term contract with his
boyhood club.
Right now, Gallagher is considering all his options. Chelsea will meet with
him with the aim of resolving the situation. They recognise he is an academy
graduate but want to understand what he wants to do.
La Liga side Atletico will give Gallagher until the end of the weekend to
decide if he wants to move there.
Chelsea do not want him to run down his contract and leave on a free next
summer. They want to avoid a repeat of the situation which saw Antonio
Rudiger and Andreas Christensen leave the club without a fee.
The salary Chelsea have offered Gallagher is comparable to the highest
earners in their midfield and is believed to be comparable to other salary
offers he has received.
Gallagher is due back at Cobham from Monday, while Chelsea's first-team
squad continue on their pre-season tour of the US until Wednesday.
Gallagher was also offered a new deal in autumn 2022 which he turned down as
he wanted to be a regular starter. He became that last season, making 37
starts in the Premier League, scoring five goals.
His seven assists ranked him second among Chelsea players. He was also
second for chances created, while topping the club metrics for winning
possession.
Chelsea accepted a larger bid from Aston Villa for Gallagher this summer but
he decided to reject a move to Villa Park and stay at Stamford Bridge. Spurs
remain interested in Gallagher.
Chelsea would prefer to sell him to a club abroad rather than a Premier
League rival.
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