OFFICIAL: Atletico confirm the signing of Chelsea's midfielder Gallagher

OFFICIAL: Atletico confirm the signing of Chelsea's midfielder Gallagher

England midfielder Conor Gallagher has completed his move away from Chelsea, joining Atletico Madrid in a move worth £33.7million.

Gallagher, 24, missed just one game for Chelsea last season. He captained the side on multiple occasions when regular skipper Reece James was sidelined, and scored five league goals under Mauricio Pochettino.

After Pochettino's exit, though, the England international's future became less secure. New boss Enzo Maresca has signed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester, while the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia provide stiff competition for places.

Gallagher was in the final year of his contract, and Chelsea's offer of a new two-year deal - with an option for one more - was considered unsatisfactory. The player and club have instead decided to part ways, with a move to Atleti also representing a return to Champions League football.

“The only thing I can say is I know he is in contact with the club to find a solution,” Maresca told reporters during Chelsea's pre-season tour of the United States. “The club offered him a new contract. But this is, at the moment, the only news I received.

“In football, every summer, different clubs have some problems with some players and then at the end, they find a solution and everyone is happy. Hopefully the same can happen in this situation.

"The squad we have, they are all players that if they are in the squad, I will do my best to try to use them and help them to understand the way we want to play.”

Gallagher's 72 Premier League appearances for Chelsea represent just over half of his total in the competition. He also impressed during loan spells with West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace as a youngster, and there was Premier League interest before Atletico Madrid pounced.

He was also part of Gareth Southgate's England squad for Euro 2024. He started one game, against Slovenia in the group stage, and made four appearances from the bench.

His new club finished fourth in La Liga last season to qualify for the Champions League. Atleti manager Diego Simeone has already added Spain defender Robin le Normand and Norway striker Alexander Sorloth to his squad, with Alvaro Morata among the high-profile departures.