Chelsea’s new manager Liam Rosenior has yet to make his first signing as Blues boss but transfer window movements across London could offer him an unexpected early boost
Less than 18 months after leaving Chelsea, Conor Gallagher is on the verge of a Premier League comeback with Tottenham poised to land the England international. Although there’s no sign of Chelsea planning to hijack the deal in an effort to welcome back their academy graduate, they’re still set to benefit from the transfer as they make January plans of their own.
Gallagher, who joined Chelsea’s youth ranks at just six years old, left Stamford Bridge in 2024 after nearly two decades. He moved to Spain, joining Atletico Madrid for around £33million, while Joao Felix moved to West London the very same week.
Gallagher quickly made his mark in Madrid, featuring in 50 matches across all competitions last season. Atleti manager Diego Simeone has been less willing to use him from the start this term, though, with the 25-year-old making 15 of his La Liga appearances as a substitute.
This has taken a toll on his England career, with his last cap coming in a friendly loss to Senegal in June. A move to Spurs could give Gallagher the stage to earn a recall, with The Times reporting that the London club is ready to shell out £35m for his signature and the player expected to choose Spurs over fellow suitors Aston Villa.
When Gallagher moved to Atleti, The Athletic reported that Chelsea had agreed an undisclosed sell-on fee with the Spanish side. The exact terms have not been made public but a 10 percent clause would net Chelsea £3.5m while a 20 percent agreement would see the number double to £7m.
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The transfer to Tottenham seems set to give Chelsea a quicker return than a switch to Aston Villa would have managed. According to The Times, Unai Emery’s side preferred a try-before-you-buy approach which would have seen them loan Gallagher until the summer while holding an option to sign him permanently at the end of the season.
As we near the halfway point in the transfer window, Chelsea’s newly appointed manager Liam Rosenior is yet to bring anyone through the door. The club has waved goodbye to one player already, though, with homegrown talent Leo Castledine joining Middlesbrough on a permanent deal after a standout loan stint at League One side Huddersfield Town grabbed the Championship club’s attention.
Rosenior enjoyed a winning start in the dugout as Chelsea knocked out Charlton in the FA Cup third round. He faces a reunion with his old club Hull City in the fourth round, but first comes Wednesday’s crucial Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal.
“We’ve been working tactically on Arsenal from the moment I came into the club,” Rosenior said ahead of the meeting with Mikel Arteta’s side. “We know what an important game it is, we’ve watched all of their games, analysed every aspect of their game, including set plays, which they’re very good at. There’s a lot you can affect.
“We talk about systems and tactics, the way you press, the way you build, but what I was very happy with – after only being here for two days – was the attitude of the team against Charlton: in terms of our energy, in terms of our intensity to press, in terms of winning duels.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
