Maresca's Gallagher verdict as transfer fee agreed after turning down contract

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has admitted there is interest in Conor Gallagher but was coy on the midfielder's future.

The Blues have agreed a package in the region of £34million with Atletico Madrid who have chased the former Crystal Palace loanee, though Gallagher has yet to agree to the move. Chelsea had previously wanted a figure near £50m but, the fact that the La Liga side are not direct competition has proven an advantage.

The 24-year-old has also turned down two new contract offers from the west London side so far this summer. Gallagher's current deal is set to expire in 12 months time but he has yet to be tempted despite a wage rise to bring him to be one of Chelsea higher earners.

The academy product has been offered a two-year deal with the option of a further year, though Maresca stayed clear of the subject. Speaking after Chelsea's win over Club America in Atlanta, the Italian said he would speak with Gallagher when the club return to Cobham.

"To be honest, I do not know nothing," said Maresca. "We will see him when we go back there [to Cobham]. I know when I met the club for the first time that there was interest in him. Today, I was focused on the game."

Gallagher is expected to return to Chelsea's training base in the coming days along with Cole Palmer and Marc Cucurella. They will meet up with the rest of the squad when the touring party returns to the United Kingdom.

The west London side attempted to sell Gallagher last summer, drawing interest from the likes of West Ham and Tottenham, while Aston Villa have been said to have considered a move more recently. The Epsom-born star nevertheless became a crucial player under Mauricio Pochettino but saw little attempt to renegotiate his contract in 2023/24.

The offer of a contract that could last up to three years to Gallagher is in contrast to Chelsea's usual offers since their takeover by Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly in 2022. More frequent in that time have been deals offered to the likes of new goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, who arrived from Villarreal, of seven years.

Gallagher however, offers greater opporunity to allow the Blues to comply with Premier League profit and sustainability rules. As a homegrown player who has been developed through the academy, Gallagher offers the opportunity to realise pure profit should he be sold.