Conor Gallagher has agreed to join Atletico Madrid from Chelsea for £33.7 million.
The England international will sign a five-year contract, potentially earning up to £200,000 per week with bonuses.
Despite Chelsea initially seeking £55 million for him, a fee they achieved for Mason Mount from Manchester United, they preferred selling Gallagher abroad.
Chelsea had accepted a higher offer from Aston Villa in June, which Gallagher declined, while Tottenham Hotspur did not make a firm offer.
Chelsea offered Gallagher a new two-year contract with an optional additional year twice, once after Villa’s offer and again following Atletico’s bid.
The Englishman rejected both offers and was called in during his summer break, where he was told he might be excluded from the first team if he stayed without signing a new deal.
This led to a weekend of negotiations, culminating in a verbal agreement with Atletico early Monday morning.
Simeone believes that Gallagher is a perfect fit for Atletico’s playing style and system.
Gallaghers’s versatility and experience will be invaluable to the Spanish club, which is undergoing a summer rebuild.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
