The midfielder has been forced out of the club he has been a part of for 16 years as the Blues' soul continues to be picked apart piece by piece
Two years into the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital consortium's ownership of Chelsea, it's increasingly difficult to be shocked by the decisions made at the highest level – but they are still trying their hardest nonetheless. In the latest in a string of questionable moves in the transfer market, the club is on the cusp of selling academy graduate Conor Gallagher off to Atletico Madrid.
The 24-year-old emerged as a key player and fan favourite last season as an ever-present in Mauricio Pochettino's midfield, even becoming the Blues' stand-in captain on multiple occasions and often hauling his team-mates over the line as Chelsea finally started making some progress in the second half of the campaign.
But in the eyes of the club's decision-makers, all of that counts for nothing in the face of the threat of the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). After a mind-bending spend of well over £1 billion ($1.25bn) in two years of Boehly-Clearlake's stewardship, Gallagher – who has been at Chelsea since the age of eight – is viewed as expendable as the hierarchy desperately seeks to balance the books.
Getty'Chelsea is my club'
Perhaps the saddest part of this whole saga is that Gallagher is being torn away from the club he loves by the people who now control it. In normal circumstances there is no way he would choose to leave, but he has become a pawn in the club's financial mess.
Gallagher is one of few remaining members of the squad who will have a profound understanding of what it means and what is required to play for Chelsea, possessing the same grit and determination that have been personified by the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Dennis Wise at Stamford Bridge down the years.
Having joined the Blues aged eight, Gallagher lives and breathes Chelsea, and having someone around a relatively young squad who embodies those deep-rooted values is invaluable. Speaking last year, he said: "Chelsea is my club, I’ve supported them all my life and I just want to do so well whenever I step onto the pitch in a Chelsea shirt." In another interview, he reiterated: "Everyone knows Chelsea is my club and I love playing for them."
AdvertisementGettyUnsung hero
Gallagher has proven time and time again that he is the kind of player a manager loves, making up for what he might lack technically with tireless running, aggressive tackling and relentless pressing. He would charge through a brick wall for the cause.
Former manager Pochettino recognised his leadership potential, too, handing him the captain's armband in the injury absence of both skipper Reece James and vice Ben Chilwell last season. He went from almost leaving last summer to becoming a key figure, starting every single Premier League game he was available for in 2023-24.
The midfielder also brings out the best in those around him by doing the hard yards and dirty work so others don't have to. There is a widespread perception among Chelsea supporters that £115 million ($145m) signing Moises Caicedo had his strongest showings alongside the England international in a double pivot last season, while his presence has helped to raise Enzo Fernandez's game on other occasions.
Gallagher didn't do all his work in the background though – popping up with 16 goals contributions in all competitions in 2023-24. His all-action approach was reflected in a remarkable stat at the end of 2023: Gallagher was the only player in Europe's top five leagues with 20+ shots, 20+ chances created, 20+ dribbles completed, 20+ touches in the opposition box, 20+ duels won, 20+ tackles and 20+ interceptions, per .
Chelsea seriously considered selling him last summer, and evidently his excellent individual campaign has not been enough to change minds at boardroom level.
Getty ImagesShameful handling
It is not an understatement, then, to say that Gallagher has given his all for Chelsea in his relatively short time in the first team – a beacon of consistency, work ethic and grit in what has been an incredibly rocky period for the club as a whole. That makes the implication that he has effectively been forced out of the club even more difficult to stomach.
Late on July 31, Chelsea seemingly briefed multiple journalists that Gallagher had rejected a third contract offer of two years plus the option for a further 12 months, including a pay rise that would have put him on similar wages to his midfield counterparts Caicedo and Fernandez. Meanwhile, it was simultaneously reported that the club had reached an agreement to sell the academy graduate to Atletico Madrid for £34m ($44m).
In another briefing, it later emerged that Gallagher, who was entering the final year of his contract in west London, had turned down the new deal because he had been told he would only be a squad player under Enzo Maresca as he did not fit the new head coach's possession-based playing style, while he also wanted a longer-term contract than what was on offer.
Shortly after that, there were isolated reports that Gallagher would be banished from the first-team squad upon his return from holiday after Euro 2024. That was a claim the club denied, but evidently the choice was simple: either sign the undesirable terms on offer or leave.
Atletico gave Gallagher until the end of the weekend to make his decision, and in the early hours of Monday morning the news broke that he had opted to move to the Spanish capital. From the outside, it seemed the Cobham graduate had been heartlessly wrenched from the club he has been associated with for 16 years and supported for his whole life.
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Getty Images'Not Chelsea's problem'
Let's not get this twisted: this is a mess of Chelsea's own making and their academy graduates are paying the price as the club looks to make 100 percent profit on their homegrown talents in a bid to balance the books in the face of PSR.
Gallagher will be the biggest name to be cashed in on, but he follows the likes of Ian Maatsen, Omari Hutchinson and Lewis Hall in being sold off, while Trevoh Chalobah and Armando Broja are almost certain to suffer the same fate.
However, when faced with questions over Chelsea's handling of Gallagher and his imminent exit, Maresca pointed the finger at the rule-makers and absolved the club of blame as he called for the regulations to be changed.
"This is not Chelsea’s problem," he said in a press conference on Monday during Chelsea's pre-season tour of the United States. "These are the rules. All the clubs at this moment are compelled to sell players from the academy because of the rules. It’s all of the Premier League clubs’ problems."
Asked if the club still aims to develop their own players, Maresca added: "Absolutely. I also think the intention of the club is not to sell players from the academy, but it is the rules at the end that you have to do it. It’s not only us; it’s all the Premier League clubs.
"It’s a shame because in Italy we have Francesco Totti at Roma, 20 years with the same club. A one-club man – we love that in football; the fans want to see that. But with the rules now, it is different from the past. If they want to protect academy players, then probably yes [they need to change the rules]."