Conor Gallagher, the 24-year-old England international, is set to resume training at Chelsea’s Cobham facility on Wednesday after returning from Madrid, where his proposed transfer to Atletico Madrid has hit complications. Gallagher spent five days in Madrid, aiming to finalize a £33 million move, but the deal is now in jeopardy.
The transfer encountered difficulties after Chelsea’s £34.5 million deal to sign Spanish striker Samu Omorodion fell through due to personal terms issues. This setback has put Gallagher’s move to Atletico Madrid under threat, especially since Atletico now needs to make a major sale to fund the transfer after their £81.5 million acquisition of Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez.
Although Atletico had shared a photo of Gallagher at their stadium, suggesting the transfer was close to completion, the deal remains uncertain. There is speculation that Chelsea could still salvage the situation by signing Portugal forward Joao Felix from Atletico, who is willing to return to Chelsea after a loan spell in 2023. However, the move depends on the clubs agreeing on a fee.
With only 11 months left on Gallagher’s contract, Chelsea is eager to finalize the transfer to avoid losing him on a free transfer. Gallagher, who captained Chelsea for much of last season and represented England at Euro 2024, faces an uncertain future as negotiations continue.
