Chelsea set for transfer windfall thanks to smart clause as Tottenham close in on Conor Gallagher

Chelsea sold Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2024 but the England international midfielder looks to be on his way back to the Premier League

Former Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher looks to be on his way back to the Premier League, with Tottenham set to beat Aston Villa to the England international. While there is no indication Chelsea themselves have any plans to bring the academy product back to Stamford Bridge, they are still expected to get a boost in the market.

Gallagher, who joined Chelsea’s youth set-up at the age of six, left the club in 2024 after the best part of two decades. He moved to Atletico Madrid for a fee in the region of £33million, while Joao Felix moved in the opposite direction during the same week.

The 25-year-old made an instant impact in the Spanish capital, playing 50 times in all competitions last season. He has largely been used as a substitute this term, though, starting just four times in La Liga and coming off the bench on a further 15 occasions.

His England chances have suffered as a result and he has not played for the national team since starting a friendly defeat against Senegal in June. A move to Spurs could provide him a platform to earn a recall, with The Times reporting the London club will pay £35m for the signing, while the deal could also hand his former club a timely boost.

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According to reports from The Athletic when Gallagher moved to Atleti, Chelsea agreed an undisclosed sell-on fee with the Spanish club. As an example, a 20 percent clause would see the Blues bring in £7m of the £35m paid by Spurs, though the exact terms remain unknown.

The Spurs move appears to offer a more immediate boost to Chelsea than a Villa switch would have done. The Times also reports that Unai Emery’s side preferred an initial loan with an option to make the deal permanent in the summer.

New Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has yet to add to his squad, though one Blues exit has already been confirmed. Academy graduate Leo Castledine has completed a permanent move to Middlesbrough after catching the eye of the Championship club during an impressive loan spell at League One outfit Huddersfield Town.

Rosenior tasted victory in his first game in charge, with Chelsea beating Charlton in the third round of the FA Cup. They will face their manager’s former employers Hull City in round four but a more immediate challenge comes against Arsenal in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

“We’ve been working tactically on Arsenal from the moment I came into the club,” the manager said before the derby. “We know what an important game it is, we’ve watched all of their games, analysed every aspect of their game, including set plays, which they’re very good at. There’s a lot you can affect.

“We talk about systems and tactics, the way you press, the way you build, but what I was very happy with – after only being here for two days – was the attitude of the team against Charlton: in terms of our energy, in terms of our intensity to press, in terms of winning duels.”