Conor Gallagher will return to training at Cobham on Wednesday having flown back to England with the Chelsea midfielder's £33.7m deal to join Atletico Madrid still in flux
- The player has been waiting in the Spanish capital for the move to be confirmed
- Atletico are in dire need of players to travel in the other direction to sign him
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Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher will return to training at Cobham on Wednesday after flying back from Madrid on Tuesday with his move to Atletico on hold.
The Blues academy product has been in Spain for the last five days with the finer points of a £33.7million move to the capital being worked out between his boyhood club and the LaLiga big beasts.
But Atletico will need to offload one of their own players to complete the deal to sign Gallagher, after a blockbuster summer which has seen them tempt Julian Alvarez away from Manchester City for a fee of £81m.
Gallagher, who has been with the Blues since the age of eight, is thought to have been told that he will only be a rank-and-file squad player as part of new manager Enzo Maresca's set-up at Stamford Bridge.
However, as he remains a Chelsea player, the club are believed to have told the player to return to England while talks continue - with Gallagher returning to London on Tuesday.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/13/22/88495943-0-image-a-5_1723584871871.jpg)
Conor Gallagher will return to Chelsea training on Wednesday after his Atletico Madrid move collapsed
![The Chelsea academy product is thought to be surplus to Enzo Maresca's requirements](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/13/12/88477761-13738803-image-a-37_1723549965014.jpg)
The Chelsea academy product is thought to be surplus to Enzo Maresca's requirements
![Gallagher and his family have spent the last few days in Spain awaiting confirmation of move](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/13/22/88477801-0-Gallagher_and_his_family_have_spent_the_last_few_days_in_Spain_a-m-1_1723584134207.jpg)
Gallagher and his family have spent the last few days in Spain awaiting confirmation of move
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Chelsea have been courting a number of Atletico players and looked to be the answer to the club's prayers.
The west London hierarchy have been eyeing a move for young forward Samu Omorodion to the tune of £34.5m.
But at the 11th hour the 20-year-old reportedly called off the move - only for Chelsea to reignite their interest in former loan signing Joao Felix.
The Portugal starlet previously spent the latter half of the 2022-23 season at Stamford Bridge, but was also deemed to be surplus to requirements by then-incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The two clubs are once again in conversation about the 24-year-old, who scored four goals in his 20 games in Chelsea blue.
![Diego Simeone will be forced to lose players in order to gain Gallagher ahead of next season](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/13/12/88477735-13738803-image-a-38_1723549968810.jpg)
Diego Simeone will be forced to lose players in order to gain Gallagher ahead of next season
![Atletico Madrid misfit Joao Felix could yet go the other way as the club seek to offload players](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/13/12/88477297-13738803-image-a-35_1723549212966.jpg)
Atletico Madrid misfit Joao Felix could yet go the other way as the club seek to offload players
Felix - who is thought to be valued by Chelsea at £55million - was previously offered as a makeweight to Man City as the sides thrashed out an initial £64m deal for Alvarez, on the heels of his loan season at Barcelona last term.
Felix became the fourth-most expensive player in history in July 2019 when Benfica sold him to Atletico for £114m.
The Portugal international has featured for Diego Simeone's side in pre-season but his future remains uncertain.
Should Atletico not be able to see out a deal with the Premier League side, Chelsea could be left with a resentful figure in the dressing room which feels increasingly cramped.
The Blues have played a highly active role in the transfer window thus far, and look to bring yet more players into the side as Maresca bolsters his attacking ranks.
![Atletico youngster Samu Omorodion is thought to have called off a move to Chelsea late on](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/13/12/88477719-13738803-image-a-39_1723549972706.jpg)
Atletico youngster Samu Omorodion is thought to have called off a move to Chelsea late on
![Pedro Neto became Chelsea's 10th signing of another busy summer of the Clearlake Capital era on Sunday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/13/12/88477519-13738803-image-a-36_1723549512866.jpg)
Pedro Neto became Chelsea's 10th signing of another busy summer of the Clearlake Capital era on Sunday
Most recently, Chelsea announced the £54m signing of Pedro Neto from Wolves, confirming his move south during half-time in their 1-1 friendly against Inter Milan on Sunday.
The winger's arrival brings the west London club's squad total up to an eye-popping 43 players, with 10 signings being brought in during this window alone.