“I was pretty nervous” - Conor Gallagher opens up on settling in at Atletico Madrid following Chelsea switch
English midfielder Conor Gallagher has opened up about his summer move from Chelsea to Atletico Madrid. The 24-year-old midfielder was involved in a lengthy transfer saga, with his move to the Spanish capital falling apart and getting revived on multiple occasions.
After Gallagher was frozen out of Enzo Maresca's squad at Stamford Bridge, Diego Simeone's side signed him for a reported €42 million. He was given a warm welcome at his new club, with 30,000 Atleti fans showing up to greet their new signing.
Gallagher has already made two appearances for the club in La Liga, helping his side to 3-0 and 1-0 wins against Girona and Athletic Club, respectively. Speaking about his experience in Madrid so far, Gallagher said (via GOAL h/t The Mirror):
"It was amazing, really good experience. First time meeting Atletico Madrid fans and it was a really warm welcome. They made me feel at home right away and it was really nice for me and all the other signings. We really enjoyed it. It is not a thing they do in England, is it? It was a bit of a surprise to me and made me feel really excited."
"I could tell straight away how passionate the fans are even just from yet so it built my excitement up even more to start playing the games. I learned a couple of sentences in the car on the way to the stadium. I worked out what I was gonna say. I was pretty nervous but it managed to come out okay so I was happy about that," Gallagher added.
Gallagher joined fellow arrivals Julian Alvarez (from Manchester City), Robin Le Normand (from Real Sociedad), and Alexander Sorloth (from Villarreal) among others in a busy transfer window at Atletico Madrid.
"I don't think that's true" - Conor Gallagher clears the air surrounding his move from Chelsea to Atletico Madrid
Midfielder Conor Gallagher played down any rumours of him having any technical errors in his game after making the move from Chelsea to Atletico Madrid.
The 24-year-old was offered a two-year contract extension by the Blues, who expected him to be a rotational player in new manager Enzo Maresca's possession-based system. The Englishman's rejection of the offer prompted the club to put him on the transfer list, and Atletico Madrid won the race for his services.
Clearing the air and downplaying any rumours citing a lack of quality as a reason for his departure, Gallagher said:
"I don’t think that’s true. Last season I had a good season with Chelsea and you could see Pochettino playing me every game and showing his trust in me. The fans appreciated what I did on the pitch."
After Gallagher's departure, Reece James and Levi Colwill remain the only Cobham graduates registered in Chelsea's first team.