Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher has reportedly been told he is not permitted to train with the first team amid an ongoing contract dispute.
Gallagher, 24, is said to have turned down a brand-new three-year deal at Stamford Bridge, with rumours circulating he is closing in on a move to La Liga. Atletico Madrid are said to have bid £40million for the player, with his future still unknown.
Enzo Maresca has already recruited former Leicester City star Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Chelsea's squad is looking heavy with the 2024/25 season fast approaching. The club must also tread carefully with FFP and the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules breathing down their neck.
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According to reports from The Sun, Gallagher has been banished from Chelsea's Cobham base and told he cannot join in with training sessions, given he is reported to have turned down fresh terms with his boyhood club. The 24-year-old made 50 appearances for the Blues last season as UEFA Europa League qualification was secured.
"I'm told Conor Gallagher has been banished from Chelsea 1st-team," wrote journalist Tom Barclay on social media on Friday. "He was in for a meeting at Cobham today, said he'd be open to signing a new long-term deal. But he's been told when he reports to training on Mon, he's not permitted to 1st-team building & won't train with 1st team."
Chelsea are currently in the midst of their pre-season preparations, with Gallagher yet to play for the club this season, after being granted an extended break given his summer endeavours with England at Euro 2024.
"I am a Chelsea player right now. Like I said, I am thinking about England and the tournament," said Gallagher earlier this summer, when quizzed on his future at Stamford Bridge. "I've been focusing on England. This is the most important thing right now for me. I just want to start the tournament now."
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