Chelsea won’t sign Conor Gallagher replacement despite links with ‘phenomenal’ midfielder

Add as preferred source on Google

Chelsea are about to sell Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid, but it appears that they have no intention of replacing him.

Diego Simeone has convinced Conor Gallagher to join Atletico Madrid, with a move to the Spanish club now imminent.

It will leave Enzo Maresca with Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as his main midfield options.

Chelsea signed Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester City last month, and it seems that his arrival is one reason why the Blues will not enter the market to sign a direct replacement for Gallagher.

Even so, Chelsea have still been linked with one midfielder in recent days after the development surrounding Gallagher.

• READ MORE: Chelsea signing ‘wonderful’ £20m midfielder would actually make no sense at all

No Conor Gallagher replacement

Gallagher was a vital player for Chelsea last season after making 50 appearances in all competitions for them.

In the absence of Reece James and Ben Chilwell, the 24-year-old also got to captain the side.

However, despite links with Celtic’s Matt O’Riley, adding another midfielder to Maresca’s first-team squad does not appear to be on the agenda for Chelsea.

According to The Telegraph, having already brought Dewsbury-Hall to Stamford Bridge, the Blues have no intention of signing someone to replace Gallagher.

Chelsea do not need Matt O’Riley

O’Riley is a good player who has thrived in Scotland with Celtic. Speaking about the 23-year-old at the end of last season, his manager Brendan Rodgers told Celtic TV: “He has been absolutely phenomenal really in his consistency.”

However, because Chelsea have brought in Dewsbury-Hall, there really is no reason to go out and spend more money on another midfielder.

Being a box-to-box midfielder like Gallagher, Maresca already has a like-for-like replacement for the Chelsea academy graduate.

Dewsbury-Hall is already making a good impression at his new club. Following his unofficial debut against Club America, Chelsea fans were raving about Dewsbury-Hall.

And again, as well as the former Leicester man, Chelsea also have Caicedo, Fernandez, Lavia, and not to mention Carney Chukwuemeka and Lesley Ugochukwu.

Someone like Ugochukwu could go out on loan this summer to get more game time, but even if he does, Maresca still has more than enough midfield options.