Atletico Madrid has secured the signature of English midfielder, Conor Gallagher from Chelsea Football Club, according to their joint official statement on Wednesday. Gallagher, who has been with Chelsea since he was an eight-year-old lad, has agreed to a contract with Atletico that will see him play for the Spanish club until 2029. Reportedly, Atletico parted with €42 million to acquire the 24-year-old’s services.
Expressing good fortune for Gallagher’s future, an official announcement from Chelsea read, “We wish Conor all the best as he embarks on a new journey in his footballing career”. Gallagher had loan spells at Premier League outfits West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace in the nascent stages of his senior career before making his debut at Chelsea in 2022.
In the previous season, Gallagher featured in 37 Premier League games, with his only absence being due to a single suspension. He spent a significant part of the season as club captain, stepping in due to injuries to fellow players Reece James and Ben Chilwell. With a year remaining on his contract with Chelsea, Gallagher has turned down a new contract offer under the recent management of Enzo Maresca.
The midfielder, who first represented England in 2021, boasts 18 international caps and was part of the squad at Euro 2024, where England made it to the final but eventually lost 2-1 to Spain.
Atletico, who plan to introduce Gallagher and their other new signings at a fan-filled event at their Metropolitano stadium, have already spent approximately 200 million euros on this transfer window. Notably, this includes acquiring Spain defender Robin Le Normand and Norwegian forward Alexander Sorloth. Following an underwhelming 2-2 draw against Villarreal on Monday, Atletico Madrid is set to play against Girona on Sunday.
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