This summer has again seen a high number of transfers from various clubs including Chelsea, and perhaps the most contentious was Conor Gallagher’s switch to Atletico Madrid.

The Blues captain appeared keen to stay at Stamford Bridge, but in order to stay within the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), he was eased out of West London.

A similar situation appears to be manifesting itself currently with Trevoh Chalobah but Chelsea are by no means alone, and that’s riled former professional turned outspoken broadcaster, Stan Collymore.

Chelsea and others must stop pimping out players

“We need to have the conversation about when a player is being signed by a club, he needs to understand where he can buy a house, school his kids and have a home base to settle into,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.

“He shouldn’t be pimped out here, there and everywhere, just to be a great example of Profit and Sustainability rules in action.

“Conor Gallagher is another one. Four loans in three years before settling down at Chelsea, only to then be pushed out the door by Todd Boehly.

“It kills younger players to keep going out on loan and it basically leaves them like a ship that never docks. They’re constantly out and about and never find a home.

“Perhaps Gallagher will do that now at Atletico Madrid – find what it’s like to go and play for a club, anchor down and become a club legend – but he wanted to be ‘the man’ at Chelsea.”

There is, perhaps, an argument that in bringing in PSR, the Premier League’s tightening up has left some clubs that had significantly overspent previously, up the creek without a paddle.

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It appears to be a constant battle for some to stay within Financial Fair Play guidelines, and whilst it’s good business practice, in the interim, players are suffering by being used as pawns in the FFP game.

What that also does is stop any club that’s on the FFP precipice from getting any sort of continuity in terms of first-team staffing – and that can’t be good for business.

The post Chelsea and others need to stop players from being “pimped out” – Collymore appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.

It’s been a breathless week in Spain in the transfer window, without much actually being confirmed. There are a lot of people on transport to new cities though.

Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez looks as if his flight from Ibiza is booked for early next week to compete a €75m plus €20m in variables deal to Atletico Madrid. Samu Omorodion will fly for London once the Olympics are over on Friday, to complete a €42m move to Chelsea.

Going the other way will be Conor Gallagher. He did not travel for 48 hours after making a decision on his future, mostly because Atletico tried to pull out of a €42m deal for him. Valencia Sporting Director Miguel Angel Corona did them no favours by revealing they wanted Javi Guerra instead, who they had also agreed a deal for. He had booked off training and booked a train to Madrid, but was told not to get on.

Such has been the excitement at Atletico that Kylian Mbappe’s first training session at Real Madrid has almost gone unnoticed. Arsenal fans could well be able to celebrate the signing of Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino, with a bid due before the end of the week, but Real Madrid are reportedly part of the reason they did not go after teammate Martin Zubimendi this summer, for the first time in three years.

#RealMadrid beat #ChelseaFC 2-1 in their final warm-up before the European Supercup.pic.twitter.com/d25fQpi792

— Football España (@footballespana_) August 7, 2024

It might be the year they persuade him to leave though: the €60m Zubimendi is keen on a move to Liverpool, but is facing an effort from Real Sociedad to convince him to stay. Both leaving would be disastrous for the Txuri-Urdin.

Barcelona were of course the other power in the mix for Zubimendi for the past two years, but it looks as if they will forego the midfield spot entirely to bring in Dani Olmo, who arrived on Tuesday – but notably has not been announced. Nico Williams looks as if he will stay at Athletic Club after returning to training a week early in Bilbao, but Barcelona maintain they are still trying to sign him. At least one midfielder is having an impact at Barcelona though, with new coach Thiago Alcantara proving a valuable addition.

Finally, there have been plenty of run-ins with the authorities this week. Alvaro Morata and Rodri Hernandez will pick-up a one-match ban from UEFA for chanting ‘Gibraltar is Spanish’ during their Euro 2024 celebrations. That was a minor offence compared to ex-Barcelona and Real Madrid forward Javier Saviola, who spent Monday morning in an Andorran jail cell.

The post Inside Spain: Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino latest, Gibraltar bans and Conor Gallagher chaos appeared first on CaughtOffside.

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive transfer news via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

Samu Omorodion to Chelsea and what it could mean for Marc Guiu

We can now confirm it’s ‘here we go’ for three important deals, with Julian Alvarez set to sign for Atletico Madrid from Manchester City, in what is a record sale for them, while the deal was only made possible as Samu Omorodion is now set to leave Atletico to sign for Chelsea.

Omorodion will become a new Chelsea player – the verbal agreement is done and we’re just waiting for the formal steps. Atletico Madrid will receive £35.4m, and although earlier in the summer they rejected a bid for Omorodion and wanted to keep the player, their stance changed when they saw the opportunity to sign a fantastic striker like Julian Alvarez.

But again, Conor Gallagher was also an important part of the domino. It was technically a separate deal, but it was part of the discussion. Gallagher was always the top target in midfield for Atletico and for Diego Simeone, and last night he flew from London to Madrid to become a new Atletico player in a €42m deal.

It’s an important sale for Chelsea because of Financial Fair Play, and also because they didn’t have any agreement with Gallagher over a new contract, so they were scared about the possibility of losing the player on a free transfer next summer.

So, Atletico are signing Alvarez and Gallagher, and Omorodion to Chelsea is also done, with this crazy domino finally coming to a conclusion. There was big tension on Tuesday, the deal looked in danger, but now everything is verbally agreed and just waiting to sign the contracts.

As for Omorodion’s medical, for now he is at the Olympics, so everything is being planned taking into consideration that he has an Olympic final to play. In terms of how this deal impacts other strikers, there is no news on Victor Osimhen yet, while on Marc Guiu we can confirm that a loan move is a possibility being assessed internally – Enzo Maresca will also have a say on this.

Dani Olmo to Barcelona ‘here we go’ but Nico Williams still a target

Another major deal is the ‘here we go’ for Dani Olmo to Barcelona. An agreement has been reached with RB Leipzig for a deal worth €55m, €7m in difficult add-ons, for example if Barca win the Champions League in the next six years. But for sure the deal is done and Olmo has been in Barcelona to have his medical.

So, Olmo to Barca is a done deal and it’s their first signing of the summer. They may not be done yet though as they are still thinking of Joao Cancelo, they’re just waiting to understand how they can make it happen with Financial Fair Play. It’s still at the early stages, but Cancelo is hoping to join Barca and waiting for Barca.

It’s not close yet, but the contacts are still active as we wait to see if Barcelona and Manchester City can find an agreement, or if Cancelo will join another club, because the plan remains for Cancelo to leave Manchester City.

We also know Barcelona wanted Nico Williams, so is this saga over yet? It will officially be over when Williams will officially announce his decision. For sure he’s now back at Athletic in a fantastic mood, while Athletic remain relaxed and convinced that he’s going to end up staying. But it’s also the case that Barcelona are still attentive to the situation and keep calling Williams’ agent on daily basis.

Liverpool optimistic over Martin Zubimendi transfer

A big story from yesterday is on the future of Martin Zubimendi – Liverpool are on it, Liverpool are working on a deal to sign the Real Sociedad midfielder. His release clause is €60m, so it’s an expensive deal, but Liverpool want to go very big on this one – they feel they can reach an agreement with Sociedad or trigger the clause, so they’re very optimistic.

Liverpool are now working on the player side, because many clubs tried to convince Zubimendi in the last couple of years – Barca, Bayern, Arsenal, many clubs spoke to the player, he wasn’t keen on the move, but now Liverpool are going very big. They are using the ability of their directors to convince the player, present the contract proposal, and find a way to get the deal done.

Contacts are ongoing with both player and club. Liverpool want Zubimendi and they are confident, optimistic to make it happen while there are still steps to follow on this story to get it done. It’s important also to clarify that Arsenal were never negotiating for Zubimendi this summer, while I’ve never heard anything concrete about Man United so far.

Let me say that this would be a fantastic signing, as Zubimendi is a special midfielder, his footballing brain is different, in the top, top category. He might not be as well known around Europe as some other bigger names, but we’ve seen his quality in the Champions League and also with the Spanish national team – what he’s doing on a regular basis is fantastic.

That’s not all for Liverpool, as I expect them to be busy on the market in August. So for now their focus is on Zubimendi, but there could be more names coming in soon for Liverpool.

Latest on ins and outs at Manchester United

Manchester United are still working and keeping contacts active for Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui. Despite the links with Denzel Dumfries, their top target at right-back is Mazraoui because he’s a player who can also fill in on the left-hand side, and because he’s well known by Erik ten Hag.

However, one crucial detail is that Man United are still waiting for Aaron Wan-Bissaka to leave the club. This is the stumbling block at the moment, with United waiting patiently for the player to give the green light to West Ham, or to maybe find another solution.

Still, United’s focus is on De Ligt and Mazraoui, and both players also have the intention to wait for United. Ten Hag hopes to have both players as soon as possible because the start of the Premier League season is getting closer now, so it’s going to be an important ten days or so as both these players wait to get the chance to move to Old Trafford.

Remember as well that Bayern have an agreement to sign Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen, so they can close that deal once they make sales first, so they’re just waiting to be able to offload De Ligt and Mazraoui.

Finally on United – Fulham had two bids rejected for Scott McTominay and now it’s gone quiet. Man United always asked for £30m so there’s a big difference in valuation. There’s no agreement now and it looks quiet, but before saying it’s over we have to wait and see what Fulham decide to do. McTominay remains available on the market for a fee of around £30m.

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Arsenal and Marseille back in contact over Eddie Nketiah transfer deal

A lot continues to be written about the Eddie Nketiah and Marseille situation, so I thought I’d once again clarify my understanding of this saga here.

From what I know, Arsenal are open to re-discussing terms with Marseille after initially rejecting a €27m bid and asking for €35m, plus a sell-on clause. Now they can be open to discuss and negotiate different structure.

The precise asking price is not something clear yet but the two clubs have been in touch again and Arsenal can be open to discuss terms with OM. Nketiah had already agreed on personal terms, so no issue there, and it’s now on the clubs to reach an agreement.

Milan Skriniar available as PSG close in on Willian Pacho

Willian Pacho to PSG is getting closer, with the Eintracht Frankfurt defender flying to Paris for a medical to finalise a deal worth €40m plus €5m in add-ons. But what does this signing mean for PSG’s other defenders?

Milan Skriniar has always been available on the market but there are currently no bids or talks taking place for him, it’s quiet. In any case, a left-footed centre-back was needed as Lucas Hernandez is injured and Presnel Kimpembe is returning after a long injury, so PSG believe Pacho is an excellent talent and with big potential.

The post Transfer news: Omorodion Chelsea, Zubimendi Liverpool, Man Utd ins and outs, Arsenal update & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Atletico Madrid supposedly told Valencia they were trying to get out of their transfer deal with Chelsea for Conor Gallagher, according to Miguel Angel Corona.

Valencia sporting director Corona says Atletico also wanted to sign Javi Guerra from his club, and it seems this meant they tried to pull the plug on their move for Gallagher late on.

However, Gallagher to Atletico Madrid is now set to go through, even though Fabrizio Romano also said there were moments of tension in this deal earlier in the week.

It could be that Romano was referring to the incident Corona has also been describing, though it now looks like this has been sorted out, and Gallagher will indeed end up leaving Stamford Bridge to finalise his move to Madrid.

The England international was impressive for Chelsea last season and should be a decent signing for Atletico, with many Blues fans also surely set to be disappointed to see him go.

Gallagher transfer: Did it almost fall through?

Speaking to Relevo about Gallagher and Guerra, Corona said: “I am going to try to tell facts, objectively. There is an agreement on Sunday between Lay Hoon Chan and the largest shareholder of Atletico Madrid [Miguel Angel Gil Marin], documentation is being filled out with the player.

“And on Wednesday morning, given the delay in the return of documents, there is a question towards Atletico Madrid, what is the situation and they tell us that they are trying to get out of Chelsea’s operation with Gallagher.

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“It was the first news that we and Javi Guerra had about it, that both operations were linked, and we got out of there. There had been constant exchange of calls, Whatsapps… And at no time had they notified us.

“Atletico and we agreed on that agreement on Sunday, on Monday in the face of certain journalistic information, we asked and they themselves told us to be calm that they were trying to get out of that operation, that their objective was only Javi Guerra.”

The post Club chief said they were “trying to get out” of transfer deal with Chelsea which is now set to go through appeared first on CaughtOffside.

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive transfer news via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

Julian Alvarez transfer nearly done and how Man City could replace him

We’ve had significant developments on a few major deals in a crazy domino around Europe and the first of those is the ‘here we go’ for Julian Alvarez to move from Manchester City to Atletico Madrid. It’s a record sale for Man City – a €75m guaranteed fee plus €20m in add-ons.

So that could be a potential €95m sale for a player Man City signed for just £14m a couple of years ago – an incredible piece of business for the Premier League champions. Of course it’s also an exciting signing for Atletico Madrid, who are landing a top talent up front, so it’s fantastic for both clubs.

It will be completed soon, with Alvarez set to sign a five-year contract. Alvarez has also spoken already with Diego Simeone, who has been really keen to push this move through.

Man City will now look at options to replace Alvarez, for sure. It could be a striker, but I would not be surprised if they end up considering also wingers and maybe playing with a false nine when Erling Haaland will not be available. Talks are taking place internally to decide on the next move, so we will have to wait and see the outcome of those discussions.

Latest on Conor Gallagher and Samu Omorodion deals

Another big name on his way to Atletico Madrid is Conor Gallagher. The Chelsea midfielder said yes to the La Liga giants after a complicated saga that took some time – he’s now agreed to the contract terms and will fly for his medical. The verbal agreement is in place, but all still waiting to get all signed in order to feel finally safe on this saga, it’s almost ten days now.

Chelsea will make a guaranteed €40m from the sale of Gallagher, so it’s a good sale for them, especially as they preferred to sell him abroad even though he also had interest from Premier League clubs. Tottenham wanted him for next summer as a free agent, but no formal bid was sent to Chelsea this summer.

Of course, Samu Omorodion to Chelsea has also been part of these discussions, though it’s a separate deal. There was interest from Chelsea earlier in the summer, but Atletico said no as they didn’t want to sell the player, while he was also very happy with Atletico.

However, with the Alvarez deal on top of the recent move for Alexander Sorloth, there is no more room for Omorodion, so it’s now all set for him to join Chelsea. The agreement is done with the player on a contract valid for the next seven years, while the clubs have also agreed on a fee of €35m.

So, Omorodion has accepted the move and will have his medical soon, and it’s one more striker for Enzo Maresca. In the end, the Alvarez deal was a crucial part of the domino, even though Omorodion was happy to stay at Atletico, and now he’s getting closer to Chelsea, with some final details to clarify.

Now Chelsea will have to decide what they want to do with Marc Guiu, who they signed from Barcelona earlier in the window, as they could keep him in their squad or possibly send him out on loan. David Datro Fofana and Armando Broja could also leave, and the priority for Chelsea is for a permanent transfer for both players, or it could be a loan with an obligation to buy.

Joao Felix to Aston Villa could still be one to watch

Joao Felix’s future remains undecided and there were some reports that he could be part of the Julian Alvarez deal, though my understanding was that Manchester City were always likely to sell Alvarez without any other player being involved. Felix was never a target for Man City, they have different ideas – they respect him as a player of course, but they have different plans for this window.

With Felix, keep an eye on Aston Villa because the appreciation from Villa Park is still there – Unai Emery really loves Felix as a player. It’s still not decided where Felix will go next, it’s not being decided now, but I wanted to clarify that he was not part of the Alvarez negotiations.

So, the Felix story is not closed yet, and at the moment Atletico are obviously busy with other deals, so we’ll see again in the next few days if the Felix situation will be discussed and what it could mean for his future. Villa are still there, but it’s not time for a breakthrough in this deal just yet.

Jadon Sancho could still leave Man Utd plus truth about those Denzel Dumfries links

There is still a possibility for Jadon Sancho to leave Manchester United in this transfer window – we have to keep the door open for that, but at the moment it’s still not advancing to important stages of negotiations. It’s true that Paris Saint-Germain have an interest and that they have spoken with the agents of the player.

However, there have been reports that PSG are closing in on the player and that’s not correct as far as I understand. He’s on their list, it’s a possibility, but we’re not yet at that stage of the negotiation. Sancho to PSG could be one to watch, but it’s not decided yet, and we’ll have to see as well what Manchester United want to do with the player, because the decision of the club, of INEOS, and of Erik ten Hag will be important to decide the next steps of this story.

Another United story that has gained a lot of attention in recent hours is with Denzel Dumfries. At the moment, I’m still told that Man United’s focus remains on Noussair Mazraoui as their priority target. There’s still no agreement with Bayern but the player is also waiting for United, so the right-back story remains with full focus on Mazraoui.

Dumfries will not sign a new contract in August, but if he’s staying at Inter beyond August it remains a possibility for him to extend.

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No change on Victor Osimhen to Chelsea saga

As ever, a lot is being written about Victor Osimhen’s future, with reports from England and Italy saying completely different things, but from what I’m told there has been no change in the last 24-48 hours. With Chelsea, I expect nothing will change tomorrow or the next day either, because the situation is still very clear – Chelsea’s interest remains, they are having conversations with Napoli, but the only option for them to continue is with a loan or another kind of creative formula.

Napoli want to sign Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea, and Lukaku has an agreement already with Napoli, but at the moment the issue is that Osimhen is not considering a loan move to Chelsea. He is also not going to lower his wages or accept a reduced salary. So, everything remains open and nothing has changed yet, but when it does I will let you know.

Mikel Merino Arsenal transfer talks ongoing

It’s gone a bit quiet on the Mikel Merino to Arsenal saga in recent days, so I’ve had some fans asking me for an update on the situation.

For now my understanding is that negotiations continue, it’s still all verbal with no formal bid but for sure Merino is waiting for Arsenal to complete the agreement with Real Sociedad.

It’s also about payment terms, the structure, more things to follow between the two clubs. Merino wants Arsenal, so it’s just on the clubs now.

The post Transfer news: Alvarez replacement, ins and outs at Chelsea, Merino to Arsenal latest & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has explained how Chelsea avoided losing Conor Gallagher to rivals Tottenham as he instead prepares to join Atletico Madrid this summer.

Things are moving along for the England international to leave Chelsea for Atletico, with Romano also explaining precisely what happened with the long-running interest from Spurs as he spoke exclusively to CaughtOffside for the latest edition of his Daily Briefing column.

Gallagher played a key role for Chelsea last season, emerging as one of the more consistent and reliable performers in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad, so some fans will no doubt be disappointed to lose him.

Still, one positive is that Gallagher won’t be strengthening a rival, with Romano pointing out that the Blues’ preference was for the 24-year-old to move abroad.

Gallagher transfer to Atletico Madrid explained by Romano

“Another big name on his way to Atletico Madrid is Conor Gallagher. The Chelsea midfielder said yes to the La Liga giants after a complicated saga that took some time – he’s now agreed to the contract terms and will fly for his medical. The verbal agreement is in place, but all still waiting to get all signed in order to feel finally safe on this saga, it’s almost ten days now,” Romano said.

“Chelsea will make a guaranteed €40m from the sale of Gallagher, so it’s a good sale for them, especially as they preferred to sell him abroad even though he also had interest from Premier League clubs. Tottenham wanted him for next summer as a free agent, but no formal bid was sent to Chelsea this summer.”

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Tottenham may live to regret not getting this deal done, as Gallagher looks potentially like a fine signing for Atletico.

He’ll also likely be a player Chelsea miss, with this homegrown player often performing better than many of their expensive midfield signings like Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.

The post Exclusive: How Chelsea avoided losing star in transfer to PL rivals, according to expert appeared first on CaughtOffside.

The most complicated transfer saga of the summer involves three players and three clubs.

After months of speculation, Chelsea finally reached an agreement with Atletico Madrid to sell Conor Gallagher.

A breakthrough in talks earlier this week means the England international is on the verge of joining Los Colchoneros in a deal worth a reported £33 million. Striker Samu Omorodion is expected to move the other way once Gallagher is confirmed as a new Atletico player.

Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid hits stumbling block

The 24-year-old isn’t the only Premier League player Diego Simeone wants to sign this summer though. Agreeing on a deal worth up to £82 million for Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez on Tuesday morning, Atletico Madrid are closing on a sensational double swoop (David Ornstein).

And while Alvarez’s move looks close to being finalised, Gallagher’s has reportedly encountered some late problems. According to a report from El Chiringuito TV journalist Marcos Benito, the Chelsea midfielder’s transfer is being held up by his agent’s commission fee demands. This has prevented the Epsom-born playmaker from travelling to Spain to undergo a medical.

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Failure to get a deal for Gallagher across the line will see Chelsea miss out on Omorodion, and with talks now at a standstill, fans must await to see if the two clubs can force a breakthrough.

The post Chelsea and Atletico Madrid talks halted as player fails to travel for medical appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Chelsea have been looking to offload Conor Gallagher for quite some time and now he is edging closer to a move to Atletico Madrid.

The England international has entered the last year of his contract at the club and the Blues are ready to cash in on him as they risk losing him for free next season.

Before Atletico Madrid moved ahead in the race to sign the Chelsea midfielder, Aston Villa were involved in talks with Chelsea to sign the English midfielder.

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa had a bid accepted for Gallagher by Chelsea but the player rejected the Midlands club.

The 24-year-old midfielder is now on his way to join Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid side and he has agreed terms to join them this summer.

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The Chelsea academy product is on the verge of leaving the club now and his brave move of joining Atletico Madrid, who were constantly chasing the player, should be appreciated.

Gallagher could have stayed in the Premier League with a lot of clubs interested in him.

But the player has accepted the challenge to relocate to a new country, play in a new league, in a totally different system.

The way he performed for Chelsea last season, they are going to miss him.

It depends who they sign to replace the midfielder this summer but his quality will be hard to find in the market.

The post Bid accepted but Premier League ace has rejected Aston Villa transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Conor Gallagher’s Chelsea exit is getting closer with the midfielder agreeing to depart Stamford Bridge for Atletico Madrid, however, the London club have made a key decision related to the transfer. 

The Premier League club will receive €40m for the England star, who they were desperate to sell this summer as the player had just one year remaining on his current contract. The sale will also be a big boost to the Blues’ profit and sustainability situation as the money will go down as pure profit.

Gallagher is set to sign a five-year contract with the La Liga club having accepted the move over the weekend. There was also interest in the Chelsea star from the Premier League but the 24-year-old opted for a new challenge abroad.

With the midfielder’s move nearly complete, Chelsea have made a key decision regarding his replacement.

According to Football Insider, the West London outfit are highly unlikely to replace Gallagher at Stamford Bridge as they believe that they are already well covered in the position, despite the crucial role the Englishman had under Mauricio Pochettino last season.

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Who will replace Conor Gallagher at Chelsea?

Gallagher started 37 out of a possible 38 Premier League games during the 2023/24 campaign for Chelsea and made 50 appearances in total, notching seven goals and nine assists. That is a player that needs replacing and there are two main options.

The Blues signed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester City this summer and having already worked with new manager Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, the 25-year-old is the obvious choice.

However, the London club essentially have another new signing in Romeo Lavia, who joined the Premier League team last summer from Southampton but played just 32 minutes having seen his season plagued by injuries.

The Belgian star will have a point to prove and could be set for a big campaign at Stamford Bridge.

In the end, the Blues’ decision not to replace Gallagher could be a smart one as it will allow the Premier League giants to spend the money on strengthening other areas of Maresca’s squad that don’t have a lot of depth, such as a new striker.

The post Chelsea make big decision regarding squad as Conor Gallagher exit nears appeared first on CaughtOffside.

It’s been one of the transfer sagas of the summer already, but the Conor Gallagher story could soon be concluded with a last-minute development to excite Blues fans.

Todd Boehly has seemingly wanted to ease the club captain out of the door for some while now in order to claim his transfer fee as ‘pure profit’ as far as the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) are concerned.

It’s believed that the West Londoners are one of the clubs that are living on the precipice of Financial Fair Play, and that’s perhaps the biggest reason why the last couple of years has seen a transfer merry-go-round at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea announcement close

Arguably, that’s led to the inconsistency that we’ve seen on the pitch during that time, and despite Enzo Maresca’s positive opening statements as new Chelsea manager, as might be expected, it’s hard to see the same not continuing during the Italian’s tenure in the hot-seat.

Hanging on to Gallagher might well have been one of the keys to success for the Blues during the 2024/25 season, though as CaughtOffside columnist and transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano notes, there’s been an important development in the story.

???? Conor Gallagher's flight to Madrid has been booked for today, he's set to travel as soon as he gets the green light.

Plan revealed on Monday now set to be confirmed.

Gallagher would join Atléti on €40m fixed fee, five year deal, waiting for Omorodion & Julian Alvarez. pic.twitter.com/QldOyx9R1W

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 6, 2024

Gallagher’s flight to Madrid has now been booked, so any lingering hopes the Blues faithful had of a last-minute reprieve are apparently gone.

However, given that there’s a ‘domino effect’ with the deal, which will see Atletico Madrid’s Samu Omorodion move to Chelsea, there’s enough of a reason for supporters to still get excited.

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Omorodion, 20, is a powerhouse of a front man whose mobility and strength will be right at home in the Premier League.

With many years in the game ahead of him, he could therefore develop into a real asset for Chelsea.

The post Last minute development in the Conor Gallagher story should excite Chelsea fans appeared first on CaughtOffside.