Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is set to join Atletico Madrid, but if one Premier League club had it their way, he would be signing for them next summer.
With Conor Gallagher failing to agree a new contract with Chelsea, the Blues have decided to sell the 24-year-old to Atletico Madrid.
The two clubs are going to do quite a bit of business with each other before the transfer window closes, with Chelsea also set to sign Samu Omorodion from their Spanish counterparts.
Enzo Maresca likes Omorodion’s physicality, and Chelsea should be able to add that to their squad before the new season starts.
As for the midfielder who they are about to sell, Diego Simeone seems to be a fan of Gallagher.
Tottenham wanted to sign Conor Gallagher on a free transfer
Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in Gallagher is long-standing and has been well-documented, but the London club are set to miss out on him.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham were keen on signing Gallagher next summer when his contract expires, but Chelsea are going to sell him to Atletico during this transfer window instead of allowing the Englishman to run down his deal.
Speaking to CaughtOffside, Romano said: “Chelsea will make a guaranteed €40m (£34.4m) 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.”
Darren Bent claims Tottenham had no chance of signing Gallagher this summer, with Spurs and Chelsea, of course, being fierce rivals.
Tottenham can get one over Chelsea by signing Dominic Solanke
Tottenham and Chelsea have both been linked with Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke. But with Chelsea about to land Omorodion, Tottenham are more likely to sign the 26-year-old.
According to The Times, Spurs are confident of acquiring Solanke before the transfer market slams shut.
The England international was in terrific form for Bournemouth last season, scoring 19 goals in 38 Premier League appearances.
Solanke’s £65m release clause has put Chelsea off, giving Tottenham an opportunity to strike. And if they manage to land him and he ends up helping them to finish above the Blues next term, they will probably not care too much about missing out on Gallagher.
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