"We all want to find a solution" - Enzo Maresca provides update on future of Chelsea star after he rejected new contract
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca suggested that the Blues were looking to resolve the situation surrounding Conor Gallagher. The Italian spoke on the midfielder's future at the club after reports of a move to Spain to join Atletico Madrid.
He said (via Fabrizio Romano on X):
“For sure Gallagher is in contact with the club to find a solution”.
“The club offered him a new contract but we all want to find a solution in order to make everyone happy”.
This comes after a report from The Athletic's David Ornstein that Gallagher had rejected a contract renewal offer from Chelsea. The deal would have kept the 24-year-old at the club for three more years with a wage proposal similar to the side's other highest-earning midfielders.
The report also claimed that the Blues also have an agreement in place with Atletico Madrid for a fee of around €40 million over Gallagher's transfer. It remains unclear if Los Rojiblancos have convinced the player to join them. The Englishman has also attracted interest from the likes of Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur this window.
Gallagher was one of Mauricio Pochettino's go-to players last season, taking up the captain's armband in the absence of Reece James owing to injury. He made 50 appearances across competitions, scoring seven times and setting up nine more.
However, the return of Romeo Lavia from injury and the signing of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, combined with Gallagher's lack of fit in Maresca's system means Chelsea are willing to let their academy star go.
Fringe Chelsea star emerges as target for Serie A side: Reports
Juventus have expressed an interest in signing Chelsea striker Armando Broja. According to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, the Bianconeri have identified the Albanian as a backup option to Dusan Vlahovic.
After a disappointing 2023-24 campaign that saw him find the back of the net just twice in 19 games across competitions, the Blues are keen on offloading the 22-year-old. Broja was sent on loan to Fulham for the second half of the season but he managed to get just 80 minutes of playing time. He also missed the first few months of the season, recovering from an ACL injury he suffered in December 2022.
Other clubs, including the likes of AC Milan, Everton, and Wolverhampton Wanderers have also looked into the possibility of signing Broja. Chelsea already boast attackers like Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson and have also been linked with Napoli's Victor Osimhen, making the Albanian's future bleak at Stamford Bridge.