Atletico Madrid have confirmed that Conor Gallagher is in the Spanish capital to finalise his move from Chelsea.
The England midfielder is signing for the LaLiga club in a deal worth £33.7million.
Gallagher, 24, was banished from first-team training by Enzo Maresca after contract renewal talks stalled.
Last season’s captain wanted to be a guaranteed starter in West London but was not going to get his wish as the former Leicester head coach continued to stamp his authority on the squad.
Gallagher was in the final year of his contract and his move to Atletico Madrid means he will compete in the Champions League this season and likely play alongside Julian Alvarez, who is set to move from Manchester City.
Maresca previously said the club were trying to find a solution for Gallagher, with Tottenham and Newcastle both reportedly interested.
Conor Gallagher visited the Cívitas Metropolitano as Atlético de Madrid and Chelsea FC finalise his transfer. pic.twitter.com/InhSgIXXmM
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) August 9, 2024
He said: “The only thing I can say is I know he is in contact with the club to find a solution.
“In football, every summer, different clubs have some problems with some players and then at the end, they find a solution and everyone is happy.
“Hopefully the same can happen in this situation.
“The squad we have, they are all players that if they are in the squad, I will do my best to try to use them and help them to understand the way we want to play.”
Gallagher featured for England at Euro 2024 under Gareth Southgate and made 72 Premier League appearances for the Blues.
He will be keen to kick off his new chapter in Spain by helping Atletico challenge Real Madrid and Barcelona for the title.
