Something does not seem to be right about Conor Gallagher’s impending departure from Chelsea. The 24-year-old English midfielder will be moving to Atlético Madrid pretty soon. As an academy product of Chelsea, he should have probably been treated better at the club, which finished sixth in the Premier League table last season.
The deal is reportedly going to be made at 34 million pounds, which will provide Chelsea with some cash. However, the decision to let go of a promising young player does not seem to be a very good decision on their part.
Gallagher Played Multiple Roles at Chelsea
Gallagher is primarily a central midfielder, but played in various roles during his stint at Chelsea. He started playing for the club’s senior team in 2019 and has also enjoyed loan-spells at different clubs since then. The England international has featured in 95 matches for the Blues, having scored 10 goals for them.
However, he has often had to move out of his comfort zone to adjust to a different role for the sake of his team. Chelsea has signed a number of holding midfielders at high prices in the recent past, which has caused Gallagher to adjust to different roles.
The arrival of Enzo Fernández, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia meant that Gallagher had to play as a No. 10 in Chelsea’s 4-2-3-1 at times. Not to mention that he has played as a holding midfielder as well, with Fernandez playing in a slightly advanced role as the No. 8.
Gallagher has also played as one of the two central midfielders when his team has played with a 4-3-3. All of that has often forced him to alter his game to suit his team’s requirements.
Gallagher’s Game Better for Premier League Than La Liga
Gallagher has a Frank Lampard-like quality of getting into the opposition box at times to help in his team’s attack. However, he is far from being a potent goal-scorer that Lampard was. His 10 goals in 95 matches for the club suggests that he is not much of a regular goal-getter.
However, his ability to come up with timely tackles coupled with his ability to run into the opposition penalty box makes him a valuable asset for any Premier League club, as the game in England is usually more direct and faster than in Spain.
In such a scenario, his presence might be missed at Chelsea. While Caicedo is primarily a destroyer, Fernández prefers to operate as a deep-lying playmaker. Hence, the Blues will miss a player to operate box-to-box at times.
On the other hand, however, it will give Gallagher an opportunity to hone other facets of his game. He might emerge as a more skillful player after having played in Spain. Playing for Atlético Madrid will also offer him the opportunity to play in UEFA Champions League – something that Chelsea have not managed in the last couple of seasons. In a nutshell, it is going to provide Gallagher with a new sort of challenge, which might make him a better footballer. However, Chelsea have probably not benefited from the said deal.