Conor Gallagher appeared to aim a subtle dig at Chelsea as he reflected on his first month at Atletico Madrid after completing a £34million move. transfer.
Gallagher’s exit from Stamford Bridge in August mirrored that of Mason Mount a year earlier, with Chelsea unable to agree a new contract with the home-grown midfielder and preferring not to risk losing him as a free agent when the his agreement was due to expire in 2025. .
As the England international was a Cobham licensee, there was a big money sale with the added bonus of the fee being considered ‘pure profit’ in the eyes of the Profit & Sustainability Rules.
It was previously reported that Chelsea he had only offered Gallagher a two-year contract with the option of a third. He got a significant pay raise, but the length was insignificant compared to other contracts on the roster that ran through 2030 or beyond. He turned it down, twice.
So when Gallagher scored his first goal for Atlético at the weekend and he said The Athletic A few days after he has “felt very wanted and appreciated” since his move to Madrid, fans couldn’t help but think that at least part of that referred to the end of his time at Chelsea.
“(It’s) important for any footballer,” he said of feeling valued by his club.
Gallagher, who spent 18 years as a Chelsea player, most of his life, also seems to have little problem talking about Atlético as a step forward for his career.
“Chelsea is a huge football club, one of the biggest in the world, along with Atlético. But I’ve taken this exciting step of playing in the Champions League and challenging for trophies. It just gives me more confidence and more happiness playing my best football,” he said.
