Chelsea agree to sell Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid for £33m

Conor Gallagher has reportedly agreed a transfer from Chelsea to Atletico Madrid.

The England international has been the subject of heavy transfer speculation this summer, with clubs including Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa linked with his signature.

Chelsea also offered Gallagher a two-year contract extension, with an option for a third year, but the 24-year-old was not convinced about his role at the club.

According to BBC Sport’s Nizaar Kinsella, Gallagher has agreed a transfer to Atletico Madrid after the two clubs agreed a £33million bid last week.

Although Gallagher only has one year left on his contract, the transfer fee is lower than at other English clubs, as Chelsea are reluctant to sell the player to a direct competitor.

Gallagher’s move marks the end of an 18-year spell at Stamford Bridge, during which the midfielder made 95 appearances in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and providing 10 assists.

The midfielder also enjoyed productive loan spells at Charlton Athletic (2019/20), Swansea City (2019/20), West Brom (2020/21) and Crystal Palace (2021/22) during his time in England.

Gallagher is the seventh player to leave Chelsea this summer for a big team, after Ian Maatsen, Lewis Hall, Omari Hutchinson, Hakim Ziyech, Malang Sarr and Thiago Silva all left Stamford Bridge.