Chelsea Midfielder Conor Gallagher is About to sign for Atlético de Madrid to end several weeks of speculation about his future in west London.
The former Crystal Palace loanee's transfer to Spain is in its final stages and while his sale would help the Blues ease their financial difficulties somewhat, they plan to reinvest a portion of the funds into bringing in a replacement.
According to The SunThey are planning to sign Matt O'Riley from Celtic after he enjoyed an impressive campaign in the Scottish Premier League last season.
O'Riley is firmly in Brendan Rodgers' plans for the 2024/25 campaign and it would take more than £20m to convince his employer to sell.
The 23-year-old could also be open to the prospect of heading to Stamford Bridge, although he is expected to do so only subject to assurances over his first-team role.
O'Riley would be a perfect replacement for Gallagher
Conor Gallagher played as a deep-lying central midfielder for Chelsea for much of last season and was also a fairly consistent contributor in the final third.
O'Riley has an almost identical profile, as he also played in the majority of his appearances last season as a number six, while also contributing to an attractive 19 goals and 18 assists in all competitions for the Celt.
For a player in that position, the London-born midfielder's disciplinary and fitness records also make for good reading, having picked up just four yellow cards last season and not missed a single game through injury or suspension.
It is a testament to the fact that Enzo Maresca could count on him in the most hectic and difficult moments of the season, just as Mauricio Pochettino did with Gallagher in 2023/24.
A £20m price tag should not be too much of a problem for Chelsea, while Maresca will also have no problem adding the high-quality Danish international to his squad.
A move to west London may therefore only be a matter of time for O'Riley, with concrete negotiations likely to begin following Gallagher's move to Atletico Madrid.
