Conor Gallagher already dropped £33m Chelsea exit hint in forgotten Euro 2024 interview

Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher has agreed to join La Liga side Atletico Madrid this summer after being told he would be little more than a squad player under Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge.

The England international made 37 Premier League appearances under Mauricio Pochettino last term and was one of the Blues' most consistent performers during an inconsistent campaign. The 24-year-old is a product of the Chelsea youth academy and has been in the club's set-up since the age of eight years old.

The BBC have now confirmed that the London outfit have accepted a £33 million offer from Atletico for the player, who is willing to make the move to Spain. There had been concerns that Gallagher would not accept the transfer with Tottenham Hotspur also linked with a move.

The fee agreed with Diego Simeone's side is believed to be a cut price figure than first hoped with Chelsea preferring to sell Gallagher abroad rather than strengthen a top flight rival, such as Ange Postecoglou's Spurs.

The midfielder is now set to fly over to Spain and complete a medical ahead of signing. Chelsea had offered Gallagher a two-year deal with the option for an extra year, but it came with the news that he would receive an inferior squad role over the next seasons under Maresca.

That hasn't gone down well with the former Crystal Palace loanee, but Chelsea supporters perhaps shouldn't be surprised. When speaking to the press on international duty at Euro 2024 this year, Gallagher made it clear that playing time was a number one priority for him.

When asked directly about his future at Chelsea. He replied: "I'm a Chelsea player right now and I'm just thinking about England and the tournament. It's not difficult. I'm away with England and I couldn't be happier with the position I'm in.

"I've just been focusing on England. This is the most important thing right now for me and the country. I'm hoping I can help the team more on the pitch in this tournament."

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In that same press conference, Gallagher praised Mauricio Pochettino for affording him plenty of minutes as he regularly captained the side.

He said: "I've really enjoyed it. When I'm playing football I'm happy and I've been playing on a consistent basis this season. I've just wanted to work as hard as possible to help Chelsea where I can.

"A lot of credit to Pochettino for giving me that opportunity to show Chelsea what I could do in the last season. Hopefully, there's still room for improvement."

Already this summer, Maresca swooped in at his former club Leicester City to bring Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to Stamford Bridge. The 25-year-old flourished under the Italian in the centre of the park last season, picking up 12 goals and 14 assists over the Championship campaign.