Gallagher vs. Maresca: England star breaks silence on Chelsea exit

Tom Weber

Updated: 6 Sept 2024 09:30 BST
3 min read

Conor Gallagher, Enzo Maresca, Chelsea — © IMAGO

Conor Gallagher has countered claims that he would not have fit into Enzo Maresca's philosophy at Chelsea.

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The Blues homegrown was forced out of the club during the summer transfer window despite having been one of Chelsea's best performers under Mauricio Pochettino last season.

A fan favourite, Gallagher was turned into 'pure profit' this summer to help Chelsea balance the books and allow for more lavish spending. The 24-year-old joined Atletico Madrid in a €42 million deal, while Joao Felix went the other way for €52m.

Gallagher had been presented with the chance to extend his contract at Stamford Bridge, however, he was only offered two-year deals rather than the seven, eight or nine-year contracts that his erstwhile teammates have been granted.

The thinking behind this was that Gallagher would not play a major role under new coach Enzo Maresca as the Italian had deemed the player unsuited to his style.

Now, the midfielder has shared his side of the story.

Gallagher counters Maresca

Speaking to the media ahead of England's game against the Republic of Ireland, Gallagher responded to claims that he would not have found a place under Maresca. "I don’t think that’s true personally," he insisted.

"I think last season I had a good season with Chelsea as you could see by Mauricio Pochettino playing me every game and showing his trust in me. And the fans appreciated what I did on the pitch too.

"I’m very grateful for all of that and very thankful to the fans. And very thankful to Pochettino for giving me that platform to go and express myself and show the best version of myself at Chelsea.

"Chelsea make their own decisions and they’ve brought in some top players on long contracts. That wasn’t the situation with me but, in the end, what happened is good for everyone, so everyone is happy."