Chelsea’s proposed deal for Atletico Madrid forward Samu Omorodion has collapsed, throwing Conor Gallagher’s transfer into doubt.
Chelsea had agreed a £34.5m deal for the striker, enabling Gallagher to move in the opposite direction for £36m on a five-year contract. The midfielder completed his medical last week and was pictured by Atletico visiting the club’s Wanda Metropolitano stadium.
However, Omorodion’s move is now off following contractual issues, with Chelsea and Atletico working on a return to London for Joao Felix, who spent time on loan at Stamford Bridge in 2023, to try and save the deal.
Omorodion’s departure would have meant Atletico needed a replacement and they had agreed an £82m deal for Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez. As far as City are concerned, they still expect the Alvarez transfer to go through.
Alvarez is thought to have arrived in Madrid to undergo a medical after finishing his post-Copa America holiday.
Atletico agreed to pay £64m (€75m) up front with a further £17m (€20m) of potential add-ons for Alvarez, which would have been a record sale for City and a huge profit on the £14m they paid River Plate for the Argentina forward in January 2022.
Alvarez has made 103 appearances for City since arriving at the Etihad Stadium two and a half years ago, scoring 36 goals. The Argentina international won two Premier League titles, as well as the FA Cup, Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup titles all in 2023.
Chelsea unveiled their 10th summer signing on Sunday in Wolves winger Pedro Neto, who has joined in a £52m deal.
The Blues have already added Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Filip Jorgensen, Omari Kellyman, Aaron Anselmino, Renato Veiga, Caleb Wiley, Marc Guiu and Tosin Adarabioyo during this transfer window,
A deal has also been done for Palmeiras teenager Estevao Willian, who will not arrive until next summer.
Omorodion scored eight goals in 35 LaLiga appearances last season while on loan at Deportivo Alaves.
Chelsea did not find a consensus with Gallagher over new contract terms to keep him at Stamford Bridge.
Two other top-six Premier League clubs asked Chelsea about Gallagher, who rejected a move to Aston Villa after a bid was accepted while there was also interest from Tottenham.
Meanwhile, Armando Broja is “ready to move” to Stuttgart, who are in early talks to sign the Chelsea striker, reports Sky Germany.
Sky Sports News reported this summer that Broja is on the shortlists at Everton and Southampton among others.
When does the summer transfer window close?
The 2024 summer transfer window officially closes on August 30 at 11pm UK time in the Premier League and 11.30pm in Scotland.
The Premier League has brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.