I remember having an engagement with a Chelsea fan on a group recently about the treatment being meted out to Connor Gallagher by Chelsea in his prolonged contract situation with his boyhood club. This was after he was reportedly banned from the first team and asked to train with the reserves.
Without knowing much details then, I felt he was being treated unfairly, particularly as he was one of their most impressive players last season despite their horror showing in the campaign. And being the vice captain, I feel he should have been treated with more respect.
More information coming out now shows he was actually offered a contract extension by the club and I initially wondered why he didn't accept until the details became clearer.
First, he was made to know that he was going to be a squad player under Enzo Maresca, meaning his playing time was not guaranteed and this would definitely put his chances of representing England in jeopardy. I'm wondering how he moved from star boy last season to this.
Understandably, I believe Maresca may not see him as the kind of player he wants for his type of possession-based football as Gallagher has thrived more in the fighting-to-get-the-ball mode as seen during his spells at West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace, even with Chelsea last season. This means he gets into more advanced positions which perhaps isn't what Maresca wants from him. Should that have been the case, it should have been handled better than treating him like an outcast.
As if that was not enough, the other part of the contract was that he was offered a two-year deal with an option of a further one year on two different occasions; just before the Euros and a few days before they lowered their asking price for him, which interested Atletico Madrid.
In his shoes too, I will feel hard done, especially given the kind of outrageous six, seven year deals being given to new recruits. The kind of deal he was offered is what we see offered to players in their thirties and towards the end of their careers, not a 24-year old with known potential.
At last, he finally made a decision to leave the club just 60 seconds before the deadline given by Atletico for him to make his decision as they had also put some transfer discussions on hold due to the delay.
In the end, fair deal for all parties. Gallagher gets to make a move that he'd hope would get him more spotlight, Chelsea make good money for a player that could potentially have signed a pre-agreement with a foreign club by January and Atletico getting good bargain of £33 million for such a young player.
Hopefully, no stumbling blocks and the deal pulls through. I just feel they could have parted ways on a better note.
