Senior Chelsea player agrees £10m-a-year deal to leave

Chelsea are set to lose one of their senior players this summer after he agreed terms on a lucrative exit from the club, it has emerged.

Chelsea busy ahead of new season

With the Premier League season kicking off in just over a week’s time, Enzo Maresca’s side is still taking shape at Stamford Bridge.

So far, the only signings over the age of 20 to arrive at Stamford Bridge this summer have been Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (who joined from Leicester City in a deal worth £30m), Tosin Adarabaiyo on a free transfer and goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, who signed from Villarreal.

They kick off their season against Manchester City in just under a fortnight, having fallen to a 4-2 defeat against the reigning Champions to round off a dismal pre-season tour that also included a loss to Celtic and a draw with League One side Wrexham.

The Blues are expected to be busy in the transfer market right up until the transfer deadline of August 30th, with a new striker among the positions that need filling at Stamford Bridge. However, Maresca will have to make do without one of his predecessor’s favourite players.

“Priceless” Chelsea man agrees exit

That comes as midfielder Conor Gallagher has agreed to leave Chelsea this summer, with the Cobham graduate opting to move to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. Gallagher captained Chelsea for much of the 2023-24 season, starting 37 games for Mauricio Pochettino’s side and impressing in the process. After one particular win over Crystal Palace, the Argentine dubbed Gallagher “priceless”.

“I think he is a player with a great commitment to the team,” said the Chelsea manager. “He is always trying to compensate in every situation, in offensive and defensive situations. It’s priceless to have a player like him.”

However, he was down to the final 12 months of his deal in west London and had turned down a fresh contract from his boyhood club, which meant that the Blues decided to cash in on him rather than lose him for free.

And Gallagher has now agreed terms with Spanish giants Atletico ahead of a 40m euro (£33.7m) move to the Spanish capital, which will see him pen a five year deal according to Fabrizio Romano.

As per The Telegraph, his new deal in Spain could see him take home £200,000 a week (£10m per year) including bonuses, which is a significant increase on his previous £50,000 a week deal at Stamford Bridge.

His departure could see Chelsea move for Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley, who is also on the wishlist of Premier League newcomers Southampton and European Champions Atalanta.

Though Chelsea fans will be disappointed to see Gallagher leave, they will be glad that it is to a club outside the Premier League, with the midfielder having previously been linked to Premier League rivals Aston Villa and Tottenham.