England international departs Chelsea to join Spanish side

Midfielder Conor Gallagher has departed Chelsea to join Spanish side Atletico Madrid on a permanent deal. 

The Blues announced on Wednesday that the academy graduate had left the club to join the La Liga side after months of speculation.

Gallagher, 24, has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge for much of the summer and a move to Atletico looked all but complete a few weeks ago, until talks over the move stalled and the player returned to London.

The Englishman trained away from Enzo Maresca’s first team squad in the build up to their defeat against Manchester City on Saturday, before heading back to the Spanish capital to finalise his move.

Gallagher is a product of the Blues’ academy, having joined the club at the age of six, and has previously enjoyed successful loan spells at both West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace.

He returned to his boyhood club at the start of the 2023/24 campaign and has now played 95 times for the West London outfit across all competitions.

Gallagher captained Chelsea on several occasions last season

Despite his importance under former managers Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino, the England international was put up for sale by the club’s owners at the start of the current transfer window, as they looked to offload players in an effort to adhere to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.

If he had stayed put, Gallagher would have been battling with the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia for a place in Maresca’s side.

Instead, he will join Diego Simeone’s squad and compete in the new-look Champions League, which begins in September.

The central midfielder has signed a long-term contract that will keep him at Atleti until the summer of 2029.