Conor
Gallagher will fly to Spain on Monday to proceed with a transfer to Atletico
Madrid.
Chelsea accepted a deal in the region of £34m from the LaLiga club last week
and could not find consensus with the player over new contract terms to keep
him at Stamford Bridge.
Two other top six Premier League clubs asked Chelsea about Gallagher in the
past few days but he has decided to join Atletico Madrid.
Gallagher made his final decision to join Atletico Madrid just one minute
before the deadline of the weekend.
Should talks progress smoothly and a medical be completed, he is expected to
sign a five-year contract.
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.
Chelsea did not want repeat of Rudiger and
Christensen exits with Gallagher
Sky Sports News' chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol:
Conor Gallagher's Chelsea career was effectively over after he was told last
week he would be a squad player if he stayed because of the new style of
play.
Atletico Madrid offered him the long contract he wanted and Champions League
football. They gave him until the end of the weekend to decide if he wanted
to move there and Chelsea made it clear it would be the right move for him
if he wanted a long-term deal.
Chelsea did not want him to run down his contract and leave on a free next
summer. They did not want a repeat and distraction of the Antonio Rudiger
and Andreas Christensen situations.
Gallagher was due to train at Cobham on Monday if he had turned down the
move to Spain. Chelsea's first team squad are in the US until Wednesday.
Gallagher's departure will be controversial because he has been at the club
since he was eight and he has established himself as a key player and fan
favourite. Former head coach Mauricio Pochettino made him captain last
season.
Many Chelsea supporters wanted Gallagher to be offered a long-term contract
but the latest club offers were for a two-year deal plus the option of
another year.
The latest 2+1 offer was rejected last week. Chelsea did not offer a longer
deal because they were concerned that he would be a squad player in the new
high-possession style they are committed to playing under new head coach
Enzo Maresca.
It could also have had financial PSR implications for Chelsea so it was felt
that it would have been a mistake for both parties to commit to a longer
teem deal.
Chelsea respected the fact that he is an England international who needs to
be a regular starter. A longer contract could have tied him up as a squad
player and jeopardised his place in future England squads.
He turned down extension offers because he wanted a longer contract similar
to the ones which have been signed by his teammates.
The salary Chelsea offered him was comparable to the highest earners in
their midfield and is believed to have been comparable to other salary
offers he had received.
Gallagher also turned down interest in a contract extension in the autumn of
2022 because he wanted to be a regular starter and not a squad player. He
became a regular starter last season.
Blues keen on Celtic's O'Riley as
potential Gallagher replacement
Chelsea are assessing potential replacements should Conor Gallagher leave
the club.
Sky Sports News understands one of several options they are keen on is Matt
O'Riley at Celtic.
O'Riley has been the subject of bids from Atalanta this summer, and he has
further interest from other clubs in the Premier League and abroad.
Atletico Madrid made a bid for O'Riley in January.
When does the summer transfer window open
and close?
The 2024 summer transfer window officially closes on August 30 at 11pm UK
time in the Premier League and 11.30pm in Scotland.
The Premier League has brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the
other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following
discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
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