Chelsea return tipped to ‘solve transfer puzzle’ after ‘collapse’ with two £98m sales thrust ‘into doubt’
According to reports, Samu Omorodion’s ‘collapsed’ move to Chelsea from Atletico Madrid means two other deals worth £98m have been thrust ‘into doubt’.
Chelsea have been in talks with the La Liga giants for a couple of weeks as Omorodion and England international Conor Gallagher had been expected to switch clubs.
The Blues have moved to offload Gallagher, who recently entered the final year of his contract. The centre-midfielder was a key player for his boyhood club last season but would fall in the pecking order this term if he stayed as new head coach Enzo Maresca is implementing a new style of play.
The Premier League giants had a couple of contract offers rejected by Gallagher, who eventually decided to accept a £34m move to Atletico Madrid.
Around the same time, an agreement between the two clubs was reached regarding the £34.5m sale of Omorodion to Chelsea.
With Atletico Madrid also agreeing an initial £64m deal with Manchester City to sign Julian Alvarez, Omorodion’s exit was a vital final piece of the jigsaw as a sale was required to free up funds to secure the Argentina international and Gallagher.
The complicated nature of these deals meant the talks between the three clubs have dragged on for longer than they would have liked, but there was expected to be a positive resolution at the start of this week.
READ: Samu Omorodion for Conor Gallagher should be the final straw for Chelsea fans
However, there has been a dramatic update as it’s been widely reported that Omorodion’s proposed move to Chelsea has collapsed at the 11th hour.
Sky Sports are reporting that the ‘deal is off due to contractual issues’, but Joao Felix’s shock return to Chelsea could ‘solve the transfer puzzle’.
‘Chelsea’s proposed deal for Atletico Madrid forward Samu Omorodion has collapsed, throwing Conor Gallagher and Julian Alvarez’s moves into doubt.
‘Chelsea had agreed a £34.5m deal for the striker, enabling Gallagher to move in the opposite direction for the same fee on a five-year contract.
‘Omorodion’s departure would have meant Atletico needed a replacement and they had agreed an £82m deal for Man City’s Alvarez.
‘However, Omorodion’s move is now off following contractual issues, with Chelsea and Atletico now working on a return to London for Joao Felix, who spent time on loan at Stamford Bridge in 2023, to try and solve the transfer puzzle.’
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24-year-old Felix previously had a loan spell at Chelsea during the 2022/23 season. He scored four goals in his 20 appearances across all competitions.
The Atletico Madrid attacker spent last season on loan at FC Barcelona but the Spanish giants have opted against making his move permanent this summer.
Instead, Aston Villa and Benfica have been mooted as potential destinations, but he could now secure a return to Chelsea.
While Sky Sports says the Gallagher and Alvarez deals are ‘in doubt, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano expects the two transfers to go through.
‘Chelsea’s deal for Samu Omorodion is 100% off. There were major issues with the transfer that led to it collapsing. Atlético Madrid and Chelsea tried to find a solution.
‘Chelsea and Atlético Madrid are now discussing João Félix as part of the Conor Gallagher deal. The transfer is being discussed between both clubs and with the player’s agent Jorge Mendes in London.
‘Julián Álvarez will undergo his Atlético Madrid medical on Monday and sign his contract.
‘All the documents are signed for Conor Gallagher to be unveiled as a new Atlético Madrid player.’
