£33m England international departs Chelsea for Atletico Madrid - as João Félix heads the other way

The midfielder, 24, has been with the Blues since boyhood but now departs for La Liga after learning he’s not a part of new boss Enzo Maresca’s first-team plans. Chelsea are happy to sell the academy graduate now rather than wait until his contract ends next year and risk losing him for free - his sale represents pure profit under the Premier League’s financial rules, helping them balance out continued big spending under owner Todd Boehly.

Gallagher’s transfer has been in the works for some time - he even spent time in Madrid earlier in the summer, expecting the deal to be completed then, but it stalled and only now progressed due to João Félix agreeing to move in the opposite direction. Félix spent part of the 2022/23 campaign on loan at the Bridge and has returned on a permanent transfer to London in a deal reportedly worth over £40m. Gallagher has signed for a fee of around £33m.

While the departure is not a surprise, many Blues fans are unhappy. Gallagher is the latest in a long line of academy graduates that the club have cashed in on and he played a key role last season, taking the captain’s armband numerous times.

The signing of Félix in his place isn’t enough to satisfy some, either. His arrival has split opinion; in his previous spell at the club, he scored only four times and then-manager Mauricio Pochettino decided not to retain him. With Chelsea’s squad already crowded, some are wondering how he fits into their plans on and off the pitch.

It’s not all doom and gloom - Félix is, after all, an undeniable talent who helped Atlético to a La Liga title and won the Europe-wide Golden Boy award during his time at Benfica. He is still only 24 and Chelsea have reportedly secured his services on a six-year contract. His doubters have reasons to hope he’ll prove them wrong.

This swap deal with Atlético is far from the only drama at the Bridge as Chelsea seek to clear out some desperately needed space in their squad. They currently have more than 40 players on the first-team books but can only name 20 for a Premier League matchday, and it’s created controversy already this season.

Raheem Sterling made headlines when his camp put out a statement after he was omitted from their selection to face Manchester City in their season opener. If he was hoping for more game time after that, he seems sorely mistaken - he, Ben Chilwell, and Wesley Fofana have been left out of the squad for their first Uefa Conference League fixtures against Servette.

Chilwell has also been linked with a move away from the club as he faces stiff competition with Marc Cucurella for the left-back spot. Enzo Maresca does not seem to be afraid of upsetting the likes of Sterling and Chilwell in his squad selection - prompting speculation that they could be set for an exit before the transfer window ends next week.

Armando Broja is also likely to be on the move as Ipswich Town are reportedly closing in on a loan deal for the striker, who has struggled for first-team minutes at Chelsea, and Romelu Lukaku has been linked with Napoli - he hasn’t played for Chelsea since the 2021/22 season. Blues fans can expect to see several more players marching out the door before deadline day on August 30.