Chelsea could intensify their pursuit of a £38 million player also wanted by Man United, coming after their deal to sell Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid for around £36 million.
Chelsea agree Gallagher sale in hugely unpopular move
The Blues have been heavily criticised for agreeing to part company with Gallagher, who was a crucial player for Mauricio Pochettino over his 37 Premier League starts last season.
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Gallagher, a Cobham academy graduate and favourite among the club's fanbase, was offered a two-year contract, plus the option of a further year, but the England international deemed the proposal short of expectation and instead chose to join Diego Simeone in La Liga.
Considering Chelsea's pattern of offering long-term deals to new signings, it is understandable why Gallagher may have felt the club's contract extension offer wasn't up to par, especially considering just how important he was last campaign.
The midfielder's contract situation, which was set to expire next year, then gave Todd Boehly and BlueCo little choice but to sell him to Atletico Madrid – or risk losing Gallagher for nothing in 2025 – but the move has still attracted fierce backlash from both supporters and pundits alike.
"I hope Conor absolutely smashes it over there. His treatment by the club has been nothing short of deplorable," wrote the FPL Side Net Podcast on X.
"For someone who did everything he could in his time to be treated as a commodity to balance books says more about the current ownership."
Meanwhile, World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit called the transfer a "very sad" one and "feels sorry" for Gallagher, which he said in an interview with Gambling Zone (via The Metro).
"They’ve put him under pressure. They gave him an ultimatum, which was sign the contract or we’ll sell you," said Petit.
Cole Palmer
7.48
Conor Gallagher
7.13
Nicolas Jackson
7.07
Moises Caicedo
6.85
Noni Madueke
6.84
"If I was Gallagher, I would be screaming with anger. He gave everything for the club and fought for the badge. He saw other players coming in who had achieved nothing getting better terms. I think it’s very sad and I feel sorry for the player."
Following Gallagher's exit, it may surprisingly spark a move for another Premier League midfielder – Wolves ace Joao Gomes.
Chelsea could move for Joao Gomes after selling Gallagher
According to Football Transfers, Chelsea could now intensify their pursuit of Gomes after selling Gallagher, but they face stiff competition from Erik ten Hag's United, who are also eyeing a move.
The Brazilian, who has been called a "super talent" by manager Gary O'Neil, is valued at around £38 million. Gomes impressed at Molineux over his 38 appearances in all competitions last season, but perhaps a move for the 23-year-old wouldn't need to be considered if Gallagher was a Chelsea player next term.
Gomes has attracted interest from Premier League rivals for some time now, and it looks as if Chelsea's hat arenow in the ring too.
