Conor Gallagher seems to be emulating his teammate for club and country, Raheem Sterling. You might recall the ugly holdout/contract standoff Sterling instigated in 2015, in order to force his move from Liverpool to Manchester City. History is basically kind of repeating now, in this situation, as Gallagher is forcing his way out of Chelsea.
The midfielder turned down a contract extension at Stamford Bridge, with the club reportedly accepting a £33.7m bid from Atletico Madrid.
Preseason Friendly FYIs
Real Madrid vs Chelsea FC, the “Soccer Champions Tour”
Kickoff (local time): Tue. Aug 6, 7pm, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC, USA
Team News: Real Madrid Chelsea FC
Starting XI Predictions: Real Madrid Chelsea FC
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Blues Team News
It’s a mess to be sure, and we’re not sure when it will be sorted out. He obviously won’t play any part in any of Chelsea’s preseason fixtures. Elsewhere the injury bug has already bitten Chelsea this season, and unfortunately for the team and their fans, this storyline could repeat again this season.
Both Nicolas Jackson and Axel Disasi will miss out against Real Madrid in Charlotte due to injury.
Moises Caicedo has now rejoined the side, meaning only two players, Cole Palmer and Marc Cucurella, still remain out on post-international tournament holiday.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.