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Tom OlverPublished Aug 21, 2024, 3:03pm|Updated Aug 21, 2024, 3:04pm
Former Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta took Conor Gallagher under his wing and served as the midfielder’s translator in his first training session with Atletico Madrid.
Gallagher found himself stuck in limbo after weeks of back and forth but the La Liga giants finally unveiled their summer signing earlier today, with the England international joining for a fee of around £33million.
The 24-year-old has put pen to paper on a five-year contract in the Spanish capital, a move which allowed Joao Felix to head in the opposite direction to Stamford Bridge.
Gallagher had been with Chelsea since the age of eight and made 95 appearances in all competitions for his boyhood club across his two seasons with the first-team.
‘To everyone at Chelsea, thank you for making my dreams come true,’ Gallagher said in a message to fans on Instagram.
‘It’s been an absolute honor every time I put on the shirt, and it was a dream come true to captain the team on many occasions. I loved every moment.
‘These memories will last forever. I appreciate all the love and support from the fans.
‘Hearing the chant of my name at the Bridge is a special feeling, and the banner you displayed meant the world to me.
‘Thank you for everything. I wish the club all the best for the future, and I hope to see you all soon at Stamford Bridge! Conor.’
Atletico Madrid play host to Girona in their second La Liga match of the season this weekend and Gallagher will hope to make his debut in front of his new fans at the Metropolitano Stadium.
Gallagher was pictured in training with his Atleti team-mates for the first time earlier today, no doubt eager to prove his fitness to Diego Simeone.
And a video shared on Atleti’s official page on X, showing Azpilicueta guiding Gallagher through team drills and exercises, received a warm reaction from Chelsea supporters.
Azpilicueta shared a dressing room with Gallagher in west London and it appears the Spanish defender has taken it upon himself the make Atleti’s new signing feel at home in his new, unfamiliar surroundings.
‘Captain fantastic, Azpi still captaining the Chels,’ @mrroyekpo wrote.
Another fan, @PCross125, tweeted: ‘You have a great player in Azpi…and another one with Conor. Good luck Atleti.’
‘Proper Chels. He is safe with Azpi and good luck you lot got a hell of a player,’ @wokeupbutwhy said.
‘Azpi showing why he’s a Chelsea legend and leader,’ @HdotSingh said.
‘Glad that he has a father figure at Atletico. Dave will help him a lot,’ @Nabinkishor1 tweeted.
At his press conference this afternoon, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said it was ‘very sad’ but sometimes necessary for homegrown players like Gallagher to leave their boyhood club.
‘In this moment, it’s not only for Chelsea; many clubs are selling players from their academies,’ Maresca told reporters when asked for his reaction to Gallagher’s departure.
‘That is very sad because we all love, like I said in America [during pre-season], in Italy we had [Francesco] Totti who played for Roma for 20 years, it was his team. We all love that.
‘But now in this moment, the rules are a bit different and sometimes you need to sell your academy players to have 100 per cent profit.
‘It’s the situation but also the rules are there, so we need to try to respect the rules.’
Asked if Chelsea supporters are likely to understand Gallagher’s exit, Maresca replied: ‘This question is for the fans. I don’t know to be honest.
‘The only thing I can say is that it’s not from today. It’s already been days, weeks that the agreement is there.
‘It’s already been there for days and weeks. It’s nothing new.’
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