Atlético Madrid have secured the signing of England midfielder Conor Gallagher from Chelsea for a fee reported to be around £33 million.
The 24-year-old has agreed to a five-year contract with the La Liga club.
Gallagher, who joined Chelsea at the age of six, made 90 appearances for the club and scored 10 goals during his time at Stamford Bridge.
With just one year remaining on his contract, Chelsea opted to sell him now to avoid the risk of losing him on a free transfer next summer.
“To everyone at Chelsea, thank you for making my dreams come true,” Gallagher wrote on Instagram. “It’s been an absolute honour every time I put on the shirt, and it was a dream come true to captain the team on many occasions.
“I loved every moment. These memories will last forever. I appreciate all the love and support from the fans.”
Atlético Madrid forward João Félix, also 24, is set to move to Chelsea after the clubs agreed on a fee in principle for the Portuguese international.
Félix, who scored four goals in 20 appearances during a loan spell in West London in 2023, had been a key part of the discussions between the clubs.
The collapse of Chelsea’s negotiations to sign Atlético striker Samu Omorodion had initially delayed Conor Gallagher’s move to Spain, but the Félix deal has now freed up the necessary funds for Atlético to finalize the transfer.
Earlier this month, Gallagher spent five days in a Madrid hotel expecting the deal to go through before returning to London when talks stalled.
Gallagher had previously had loan spells at Charlton, Swansea, West Brom, and Crystal Palace before breaking into Chelsea’s first team at the start of the 2022-23 season.
Since making his debut for England in 2021, Gallagher has earned 18 caps and was included in the Three Lions squads for the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024.