- Atletico Madrid are determined to close a deal to sign Conor Gallagher
- Chelsea accepted a £33.7m bid for their academy graduate earlier this week.
Atletico Madrid remain interested in Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher after agreeing a £33.7million fee.
Gallagher’s current contract at Stamford Bridge is due to expire at the end of next season and a number of clubs have shown interest in signing the 24-year-old this summer.
After Aston Villa submitted an offer for the England international in June, Chelsea offered him a new two-year contract, with the club retaining the option of a further year.
The midfielder rejected the deal and again rejected the same terms last week after Diego Simeone’s side accepted an offer.
Despite recent talks between Chelsea and Gallagher’s representatives, there has been no change in his situation and a move to Spain appears unlikely.
Atletico Madrid remain in the hunt to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher after a £33.7m fee was agreed between the two clubs.
Gallagher has just one year left on his contract at Stamford Bridge and has been sacked by the club’s dressing room.
With Reece James spending much of the 2023-24 campaign on the treatment table, Gallagher regularly served as captain of the Blues under then-manager Mauricio Pochettino as they recovered from a shaky start to finish sixth.
However, earlier this week, Gallagher was informed that he will not be part of the club’s first-team dressing room when he returns for pre-season.
It is understood there are concerns that the academy graduate may not adapt to Enzo Maresca’s system as speculation linking him with a permanent exit from his boyhood club continues to grow.
If Gallagher leaves this summer, Chelsea have reportedly considered Celtic’s Matt O’Riley as a possible midfield replacement.
Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley has emerged as a possible replacement if Gallagher leaves his boyhood club this summer.
O’Riley scored 18 goals in 37 appearances for Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic as they triumphed in the Scottish Premiership last season.
Born in London, O’Riley represented England at multiple youth levels before switching his international allegiance to Denmark and making his senior debut last year.