Chelsea legend John Terry has admitted he is ‘gutted’ about Conor Gallagher leaving to join Atletico Madrid.
The England international’s £36m switch to La Liga was finally confirmed this week after a back and forth between London and the Spanish capital which eventually also saw Joao Felix arrive at Stamford Bridge.
Gallagher was a mainstay in the Chelsea team which finished sixth under Maurico Pochettino last season and also featured heavily for the Three Lions at Euro 2024.
But the 24-year-old was told he was likely to be only a squad player by new Blues boss Enzo Maresca when he returned to the club after a summer break.
Similarly to Terry, who is renowned as one of Chelsea’s most prized ever academy products, Gallagher had been at the club since he was just six years old.
After four loan spells, he finally broke into the first team in the 2022/23 campaign and went on to make 72 Premier League appearances, scoring eight goals.
His move to join Diego Simeone’s side ends an 18-year spell at his boyhood club and comes off the back of a season where he played in all but one of 51 matches – often as captain due to Reece James being out injured.
And now Terry, the iconic former skipper, has made his feelings about Gallagher’s departure clear.
‘Gutted to see you go @conorgallagher92,’ Terry wrote on Instagram with a blue heart emoji alongside a picture of Gallagher clutching the Europa League trophy. ‘Good luck mate.’
A huge banner of Gallagher was unfurled during Chelsea’s 2-0 home win over Tottenham in May at the end of last season which read: ‘Chelsea since birth.’
Despite the fans largely criticising the decision to sell him, the deal still went through.
Yesterday, Gallagher issued an emotional farewell on Instagram and said: ‘To everyone at Chelsea, thank you for making my dreams come true.
‘It’s been an absolute honor every time I put on the shirt, and it was a dream come true to captain the team on many occasions. I loved every moment.
‘These memories will last forever. I appreciate all the love and support from the fans. Hearing the chant of my name at the Bridge is a special feeling, and the banner you displayed meant the world to me.
‘Thank you for everything. I wish the club all the best for the future, and I hope to see you all soon at Stamford Bridge!’
Maresca claimed he was a victim of circumstances over Gallagher with academy player sales able to be marked as pure profit on the books.
‘This is not Chelsea’s problem, these are the rules,’ he said earlier this month.
‘All the clubs at this moment are compelled to sell players from the academy because of the rules. It’s all of the Premier League clubs’ problems.’
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