Manchester United takes on Brighton in a Premier League match on Saturday, August 24, 2024, at the American Express Stadium in Brighton and Hove, England.
England midfielder Conor Gallagher completed his transfer to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, concluding a weeks-long saga that involved Joao Felix moving in the opposite direction to make the deal possible.
Gallagher joined Atletico Madrid on a five-year deal for a reported £36 million ($47 million). Shortly after, Chelsea announced they had signed Portugal forward Joao Felix for a reported £45 million ($59 million).
Chelsea aimed to sell Gallagher, an academy product and last season's vice-captain, to meet the Premier League’s increasingly strict financial regulations.
The transfer agreement between Chelsea and Atletico was almost derailed last week due to the collapse of a proposed deal involving Atletico striker Samu Omorodion moving to Chelsea. This situation required Gallagher to return to Chelsea and train alone temporarily. However, a resolution was found, with Felix moving from Atletico to Chelsea instead.
Felix spent the latter part of the 2022-23 season on loan at Chelsea. Prior to that, Atletico Madrid had made him the third most expensive player ever by activating the €126 million (around $140 million) buyout clause in his contract in 2019 to bring him from Benfica.
"I'm thrilled to be back at Chelsea and eager to get started," Felix said. "It’s great to see some familiar faces from my previous time here."
"I really enjoyed my time at Chelsea before and had told my friends and family that I hoped to return to the Premier League someday. To come back with Chelsea is a fantastic feeling, and I’m excited to be here."
Felix was on loan at Barcelona last season.
Gallagher, who represented England at the recent European Championship, was one of Chelsea’s standout players last season. Having joined the club as a 6-year-old, he has made 95 appearances and scored 10 goals.
Chelsea's transfer activity remains intense as the club continues its overhaul under its American ownership.
So far this summer, Chelsea has signed ten players at a cost exceeding $250 million. This follows previous spending of $280 million in the summer of 2022, $350 million in January 2023, and over $400 million in the offseason of that year.
Felix's arrival comes a week after Pedro Neto joined from Wolverhampton. Neto, another versatile forward, has taken the No. 7 jersey previously worn by Raheem Sterling. Sterling, who appears to be surplus to requirements, was notably absent from the bench in Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, marking their Premier League season opener.
"I’m not suggesting that Raheem isn’t a good player," Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said. "It's just that I prefer a different type of winger."
"I was simply being honest," Maresca said. "I spoke with Raheem before the City match and told him he might find it difficult to get playing time with us."