Omorodion 'cried a lot at night' during Chelsea transfer saga

Tom Weber

• Updated: 12 Oct 2024 15:34 BST
• 3 min read

Samu Omorodion has admitted that he 'cried a lot at night' during the summer transfer window.

The Spain striker was at the heart of one of the strangest transfer sagas of the summer. Pursued by Chelsea, Atletico Madrid initially insisted that the 20-year-old was not for sale before changing their mind when they were offered Conor Gallagher in return.

An agreement between the two clubs was reached and Omorodion was ready to sign for the Blues. The Olympic gold medalist was already in London and completed his medical when the deal collapsed for still unknown reasons.

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On Friday, the youngster claimed that the move didn't happen because 'God didn't want it,' but it's likely that there were more tangible, financial differences that led to its collapse.

Omorodion ended up signing for Porto in Portugal, where he has started like a house on fire, netting seven times in seven games. Porto president - and ex-Chelsea manager - Andre Villas-Boas has hailed the signing of the striker as a 'special deal,' a happy ending after what proved a tortuous summer.

Omorodion on Atleti nightmare

Speaking to MARCA, Omorodion has now shed more light on his tumultuous transfer window, admitting that the treatment he received by then-club Atletico Madrid left him completely demoralised.

"The gold medal [with Spain] wasn't so bad, but it was a very difficult summer. When I was in Madrid I had a very bad time. In the end, thank God, everything turned out well. If the Chelsea move didn't work out it was for a reason and in the end everything turned out well.

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"There at Atletico de Madrid, I trained separately. I didn't feel involved, not like a footballer. I trained and my head told me 'no.' I had a bad time. I cried a lot at night. My family and my mother had a very bad time. In the end, thank God, everything came together quickly and I made the best decision.

"Nobody spoke to me and I didn't speak to anyone. I was still an Atletico de Madrid player, I had to go to training and do my job. I already knew the club's position. These are things that happen in football and that make you gain experience and learn for the future."