FORMER Chelsea star Emmanuel Petit reckons Conor Gallagher is likely to be “p****d off” at his Stamford Bridge axe this summer.
The England midfielder is on the brink of a £34million move to Atletico Madrid after being frozen out by Enzo Maresca.
Gallagher was put up for sale after rejecting a new two-year contract, with the option for a third season, on lucrative wages.
It means the academy star’s current deal expires at the end of the season.
And Chelsea were desperate to avoid losing Gallagher on a free transfer, with his impending fee also going towards Profit and Sustainability Rules.
The Blues are already set to reinvest Gallagher’s money in a £42m move for Atleti’s Joao Felix.
But it remains to be seen whether the former Chelsea loanee can make a similar impact following Gallagher’s star turn last term.
And World Cup winner Petit, who played 76 times for the Blues between 2001 and 2004, has now hit out at his former employer for their treatment of Gallagher.
He feels Chelsea are losing a key club-grown player who has a real connection with his surroundings.
And Petit has questioned why Todd Boehly’s consortium instead continue to “gamble” on signings from abroad.
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He told Android Poker Apps: “Chelsea should try to keep Conor Gallagher. In modern football, sometimes you don’t have an Englishman in the starting XI and Chelsea need his English presence in the squad.
“It really reminds me of the Mason Mount situation, both players were happy to stay at the club and both have been forced out.
“Gallagher, alongside Cole Palmer, was the only positive player last season. Even if he leaves Chelsea, I don’t want to see him leave the Premier League.
“He deserves more than what’s happening to him with Atletico Madrid. Gallagher belongs in England, he’s built up his career through loan moves and then became captain at Chelsea.
“He deserves better than this. Why are Chelsea getting rid of their best midfielder for loads of unknown young stars?
“It’s a massive gamble to splash millions on these foreign players. If I was Gallagher I’d be so p****d, it’s a pity.”
STAY in the know this summer with The Sun's transfer experts.
Ivan Toney was left out of Brentford’s opening match of the 2024/25 Premier League season due to transfer interest from elsewhere.
Newcastle have reportedly made a fourth bid worth £65million for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.
Chelsea are in talks with Atletico Madrid regarding a permanent move for Joao Felix.
Should an agreement be reached, it could resurrect the sale of Conor Gallagher to the Spanish giants.
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