Valencia appear to have pulled the plug on Javi Guerra’s proposed move to Atletico Madrid.
Valencia had given Atletico a deadline on Wednesday to finalise the deal and threatened to pull out of the transfer if the agreed conditions were not met. Sources close to Valencia, Atletico and Guerra — not authorised to speak publicly on the matter — confirmed the move now appears to have collapsed.
Atletico sources previously admitted that it would be “complicated” for the Guerra deal and one for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher to both go ahead.
The Athletic reported on Tuesday that Atletico had reached an agreement in principle to sign Guerra for a fee in the region of €25million (£21.4m; $27.3m) plus add-ons.
Guerra had been given permission by Valencia to travel to complete an Atletico medical ahead of the proposed transfer. The 21-year-old midfielder has missed Valencia training today after training without being part of the group yesterday.
It remains to be seen whether the Guerra deal can be resurrected and what impact this has has on Atletico’s ongoing pursuit of Chelsea’s Gallagher.
The England midfielder, who has rejected three contract offers from Chelsea in recent months, had been expected to finalise a move to Atletico in the coming days, although personal terms are yet to be agreed. Atletico sources previously did not guarantee that both signings would be made, leaving open the possibility that one could through.
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