There is a sense of optimism for Chelsea as a new round of talks is set to be held over the weekend with Atletico Madrid over the deals of Conor Gallagher and Joao Felix. Both clubs aim to finalise the deals as the new season is set to start this week.
A few days ago, it seemed that Gallagher’s move to Atletico Madrid was almost a done deal, but the collapse of Samu Omorodion’s move halted the move. Samu Omorodion’s deal fell due to a disagreement over the contract in the player’s situation.
Ahead of the opening game against Manchester City on Sunday, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca confirmed that Gallagher is not training with the first team and that the club is expected to make signings before the market closes.
When asked about Felix and Victor Osimhen, he said, “They are not our players, so it would not be correct to speak about the Atletico player or the Napoli player. The club knows exactly what I think in case we need to do something. At the end of the transfer window, we can bring some players.”
Atletico will need to raise funds to complete the Gallagher deal, as they recently signed Argentine World Cup winner Julian Alvarez from Manchester City, reportedly for a sum of 82 million pounds. This is why they offered Joao Felix, who has also been a target for Aston Villa.
Joao Felix, who was part of the Chelsea squad as a loanee in 2023, is keen to re-join the Blues, but the club has made it clear that they intend to sign him permanently on their terms. There have been reports that Felix is preparing to fit into the club’s wage structure, but a deal needs to be agreed upon with Atletico Madrid.