Conor Gallagher may need convincing to join Atletico Madrid even though Chelsea are willing to sell him, a new report has claimed.
The Blues academy graduate, 24, has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge for the last 12 months due to a lack of clarity over his contract situation, with the midfielder due to become a free agent next summer.
Gallagher established himself as a mainstay in Mauricio Pochettino’s team last season and even donned the captain’s armband on occasions – but that hasn’t deterred interest. Atletico entered talks with Chelsea over a deal for the midfielder earlier this week, however, BBC Sport outline that Gallagher is yet to agree personal terms with the La Liga outfit.
It’s even claimed that Gallagher would likely need convincing if Atletico are to be successful in their bid to bolster their squad with the England star, who is currently on holiday after competing at Euro 2024.
While the same report details that Chelsea have held ‘exploratory talks’ with Gallagher over renewing his contract, it’s been well documented that the club are open to a sale.
Gallagher has been the subject of transfer interest for the last three transfer windows, including back in January 2023 when the club were approached by Everton over a potential £45million deal.
It was reported at the time that Gallagher was left ‘bemused’ by Todd Boehly and the rest of the Chelsea top brass for considering such an offer given the Toffees were mired in a relegation battle at the time. That, coupled with the fact that he had no desire to leave, made any move unlikely.
The club’s decision to ‘nudge’ Gallagher into discussing such a move was not well received by the midfielder, who has since been forced to deal with constant speculation over his future.
As Gallagher is a product of the Blues academy, any figure generated from a sale would count as pure profit in the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Tottenham have previously been credited with an interest in Gallagher and while they have not been linked with him recently, Sky Sports claims that Spurs remain admirers of the midfielder, meaning that there could be more twists to come before Gallagher’s future is decided once and for all.
