According to the latest report from the authoritative Spanish sports media "As", Atletico Madrid Football Club has suffered a minor setback on the way to strengthen their midfield. Their initial offer of €20 million to Chelsea FC for England midfielder Gallagher has been rejected by the latter.
Atletico Madrid have been interested in Gallagher for a long time, and the 24-year-old midfielder has become their preferred target to strengthen their midfield position with his excellent skills and all-round abilities. During the Europa League, Atletico's England defender Trippier personally recommended Atletico Madrid to Gallagher, which undoubtedly increased Gallagher's interest in the La Liga giants. Gallagher also hopes to get first-hand information about the club from Trippier to help him make a better decision.
Trippier's invitation to Gallagher was not an empty one, and Atletico's management are well aware of Gallagher's willingness to join the club and believe he will do his best to do so. However, despite the fact that Gallagher's contract with Chelsea does not expire until 2025, the club has no intention of keeping him and is willing to let him go, providing Atletico with a major opportunity to bring him in.
However, Atletico did not meet Chelsea's expectations in terms of transfer fee. Their initial trial offer of €20 million was decisively rejected by Chelsea, who clearly wanted more financial benefits from Gallagher's transfer. This decision means that Atletico will have to further increase their offer to meet Chelsea's demands if they want to succeed in bringing in Gallagher.
For Gallagher, he faces an important choice in his career. Atletico Madrid is undoubtedly an attractive option, but the issue of transfer fee may have some impact on his future. For Chelsea, on the other hand, they need to find a balance between financial interests and player development to ensure the long-term interests of the team.
