When will Chelsea's Felix & Gallagher saga finally end?

Cameron Smith

16 Aug 2024 21:30 BST
3 min read

Joao Felix, Conor Gallagher, Chelsea — © IMAGO

Chelsea and Atletico Madrid will hold fresh talks this weekend as they look to finalise deals for Conor Gallagher and Joao Felix.

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The clubs had reached an agreement for Gallagher to head to Spain and Samu Omorodion to move in the opposite direction, but Chelsea’s move for the 20-year-old collapsed at the last minute.

As a result, Gallagher’s move to Atletico Madrid is now in doubt and he has returned to London after spending five days in Madrid.

However, both clubs remain optimistic of reaching a new agreement, and Joao Felix is now expected to be the player who joins Chelsea.

The Portuguese international spent six months on loan at Stamford Bridge in 2023 and he is open to returning to west London this summer.

After several days of negotiations, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid will hold a new round of talks this weekend, according to The Telegraph’s Matt Law.

Both clubs will undoubtedly hope to reach an agreement during these discussions.

© IMAGO - Chelsea are in talks to sign Joao Felix on a permanent deal

What has Enzo Maresca said?

During his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s opening Premier League match against Manchester City on Sunday, Blues boss Enzo Maresca was asked for an update on Gallagher.

“Conor is back in training at this moment a bit apart [from the first-team squad],” Maresca admitted.

“He is having medical tests and he is trying to find a solution [to move to Atletico], so we will see what happens. Hopefully, for Conor and the club, everyone will be happy.”

Maresca was then asked about Felix and Napoli forward Victor Osimhen, who has also been heavily linked with a summer move to Chelsea.

“They are not our players, so it would not be correct to speak about the Atletico player or the Napoli player,” Maresca replied. “The club knows exactly what I think in case we need to do something. At the end of the transfer window, we can bring some players.”