Chelsea’s English midfielder was on the brink of sealing a move to Atletico Madrid after both clubs agreed on a transfer deal valued at £34 million (€39.3m/$43.1m). The player had already arrived in Madrid five days ago to undergo his medical examinations.
However, recent developments have thrown the transfer into uncertainty. According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea has now requested that Conor Gallagher return to London due to the risk of the deal falling through at the last minute.
The complications reportedly stem from the breakdown of Samu Omorodion’s proposed transfer to Chelsea, which has consequently stalled Gallagher’s move to Atletico.
As the situation unfolds, it has been reported that Atletico Madrid is also in negotiations with Chelsea regarding the potential return of João Félix to Stamford Bridge. For Atletico to finalize Gallagher’s transfer, they may first need to offload Félix to generate the necessary funds.
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Fabrizio Romano has indicated that Chelsea intends to treat the Gallagher and Félix transfers as separate transactions.
Félix’s move back to Stamford Bridge is expected to come with an initial fee of £40 million (€46m/$50m), though the player will likely need to accept a significant wage reduction to fit within Chelsea’s salary structure.
As a result, Gallagher’s future remains uncertain. The 24-year-old midfielder will have to wait until the Félix deal is resolved to gain clarity on his situation. There remains a possibility that Gallagher could still be a part of Chelsea’s squad at the beginning of the new Premier League season.