Chelsea have allegedly told Conor Gallagher that they want him to fly back to England as soon as possible.
For over a year, it has been persistently suggested that co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have been happy to cash in on the 24-year-old.
That recently led to a development where the Blues accepted an offer from Atletico Madrid for a fee in the region of £34m, a figure that would significantly boost Chelsea's position with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules.
Gallagher has since been in Madrid awaiting the green light to complete a transfer to the La Liga giants, but the breakdown of another deal has complicated matters.
Samu Omorodion had been in line to move to Chelsea in a separate transaction until the West Londoners pulled out of the deal on Sunday due to a contractual issue.
Instead, negotiations are being held at a pace over the potential switch of Joao Felix - a former Chelsea loanee - as an alternative.
© Reuters
Chelsea make Gallagher request
With the Portugal international said to be interested in making the move, it has effectively been left to the clubs to reach a compromise over a fee at a time when there is allegedly high tension over recent developments.
Theoretically, all could be resolved on Tuesday or in the coming days, yet it appears that Chelsea have made a decision over the situation involving Gallagher.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the academy graduate has been asked to fly back to London on Tuesday having been left in limbo.
Gallagher has spent the last five days in the Spanish capital waiting for his transfer to be finalised, only for issues out of his control preventing him from doing so.
© Imago
A key point...
Romano stresses that Gallagher's transfer to Civitas Metropolitano has not broken down with the door still open for a deal to be concluded in due course.
Nevertheless, Chelsea are seemingly working on the basis that there will be no quick resolution, as well as potentially hinting to Atletico that they are prepared to walk away.
Atletico have already committed to the big-money acquisition of Manchester City's Julian Alvarez and desperately need to sell either Omorodion or Felix at the earliest opportunity.
Chelsea are only prepared to sign the latter if Gallagher departs for Madrid, despite the fact that the deals in question are being conducted separately.
Darren Plant
