“I want him back now” – Enzo Maresca wants forgotten £150,000 per-week Chelsea star back in his squad after initially telling him to leave
The player has been invited back to Chelsea.
Conor Gallagher’s projected move to Atletico Madrid is reportedly in danger of falling through at the last minute, therefore Chelsea has requested him to return to England.
After spending five days in Madrid for a medical check-up, the England international’s transfer to the La Liga team has been put on hold.
The two teams have reached an agreement on a £33.7 million transfer, and Gallagher will be heading to the Spanish city after receiving approval from Chelsea.
The paperwork for Gallagher to become a new player in Spain has been completed, but Atletico still needs to release one of their own players.
Gallagher has been told he will only play in the squad for new boss Enzo Maresca’s team, but the Blues have insisted he return to England, and a trip is scheduled to be scheduled, according to Fabrizio Romano.
In preparation for the start of the upcoming Premier League season, Chelsea is in talks to bring back Joao Felix, a forward from Portugal, to Stamford Bridge.
He previously spent the previous season at Barcelona after a brief loan with Chelsea in 2023.Despite his declaration of “love” for the Blues and his four Premier League goals from 16 games, Atletico Madrid’s demand of £87 million to secure his permanent transfer to Stamford Bridge last summer prevented the Blues from signing him.
At the Catalan club he managed 10 goals in 44 appearances, including seven in La Liga as they finished second behind runaway leaders Real Madrid. Any ongoing discussions for Felix are separatetotalks over Gallagher’s future that has now hit a roadblock with the transfer window set to close on August 30.
Should Felix return to Chelsea this summer it will be for a significantly lower fee than the £114m Atletico paid Benfica to bring him to the Metropolitano Stadium.
Atletico are believed to be prepared to allow Felix to join the Blues for an initial fee of less than £40m, though he would need to take a significant pay cut to fit into the club’s wage structure.