- Conor Gallagher is on his way to Spain to complete his transfer to Atletico Madrid
- The Chelsea midfielder was in Madrid last week before the proposed deal fell through
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Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher has been given permission to fly to Madrid for a second time to complete his €40million (£34million) move to Atlético.
The home-grown Gallagher was in the Spanish capital last week but returned to London when his proposed transfer was complicated by Chelsea’s negotiations over the bankruptcy of Atletico’s Samu Omorodion.
But with Chelsea set to sign Joao Felix instead, Gallagher has been given the green light to travel, ending his association with the Blues, which began when he joined the academy at the age of six.
The fee Chelsea are getting is lower than the fee they accepted from Aston Villa earlier in the summer transfer window. Gallagher resisted that move but will now find a new manager in Diego Simeone, who has told him privately in conversations how much he wanted to work with him.
This was also the case when it looked like the deal would fall through after he flew back from Madrid to London.
Former Chelsea captain Conor Gallagher is set to leave Stamford Bridge after his proposed transfer to Atletico Madrid was revived
English midfielder Gallagher, 24, has made 95 first-team appearances for Chelsea after coming through the club’s youth academy
Atletico manager Diego Simeone is keen to work with Gallagher in the Spanish capital
The news of Gallagher’s departure will come as a disappointment to many Chelsea fans, who are unhappy with the number of players they are selling.
Supporters funded a giant banner for Gallagher at the end of last season, when he played a key role in securing European football under Mauricio Pochettino amid a run of Premier League victories.
As a self-trained player, he will be a pure win for Chelsea. Head coach Enzo Maresca has previously blamed Premier League rules, saying it is not the club’s fault that the financial regulations are set up in this way.
Gallagher had previously been warned while his teammates were on tour in the United States in preparation for the season that he would not be a starting midfielder for Maresca.
It was felt that he did not fit in with the possession-oriented style of play the club wanted to introduce and he was therefore told that his long-term future lay elsewhere.