Chelsea ‘tell Conor Gallagher to return to England after FIVE days in Madrid’ as the midfielder remains in limbo over a £33.7million transfer to Atletico amid transfer doubts.

Chelsea have reportedly asked Conor Gallagher to return to England as his planned transfer to Atletico Madrid threatens to fall through at the last minute.

The England international’s transfer to the La Liga club was uncertain as he had been in Madrid for five days after travelling there to undergo a medical.

A transfer worth £33.7 million was agreed between the two clubs, with Gallagher travelling to the Spanish capital after receiving permission from Chelsea.

His medical is complete, but Atletico will have to release one of their own players to complete the deal for Gallagher to become a new player in Spain.

Despite being told he would only be a squad player in new coach Enzo Maresca’s team, the Blues have asked Gallagher to return to England and a flight is being booked, Fabrizio Romano reports.

Chelsea have asked Conor Gallagher to return to England as his planned move to Atletico Madrid is in danger of falling through.

England international Gallagher has been in Madrid for five days after undergoing a medical at the club.

Atletico will need to raise money to complete the deal for Gallagher to join Diego Simeone’s (pictured) squad.

Young striker Samu Omorodion had been expected to join the Blues after impressing on loan at Alaves, but the deal stalled on Sunday after hitting an obstacle.

Gallagher has been waiting in Madrid and has not yet signed a contract for personal reasons, while Atletico are trying to complete a sale to finance the midfielder’s move.

Chelsea are in talks to bring Portuguese striker Joao Felix back to Stamford Bridge ahead of the start of the new Premier League season.

He previously spent a short time on loan at Chelsea in 2023 and spent last season in Barcelona.

He scored four Premier League goals in 16 appearances and expressed his “love” for the Blues, but they ultimately decided not to sign him after Atletico demanded £87 million for his permanent move to Stamford Bridge last summer.

He scored ten goals in 44 appearances for the Catalan club, including seven in La Liga, which saw the club finish second behind clear leaders Real Madrid.

Any ongoing discussions about Felix are separate from talks about Gallagher’s future, which have now stalled as the transfer window closes on August 30.

However, Chelsea have now turned their attention to bringing Joao Felix back to West London

If Felix returns to Chelsea this summer, the fee will be significantly lower than the £114 million Atletico paid Benfica in the summer of 2019 to bring him to the Metropolitano Stadium.

Atletico are reportedly willing to let Felix join the Blues for an initial fee of less than £40 million, although he would have to take a significant pay cut to fit into the club’s salary structure.