Atletico Madrid hold ‘strong interest’ in SECOND Chelsea signing, with Conor Gallagher reunion possible

Atletico Madrid are planning yet more transfer talks with Chelsea, having reportedly identified Ben Chilwell as their latest target.

According to reporter Ekrem Konur, Atletico Madrid hold ‘strong interest’ in signing Chilwell as they know Chelsea will consider suitable offers for the left-back. Atletico Madrid are ‘keen’ on striking a January deal for Chilwell, with manager Diego Simeone ‘eager’ to improve his options on the left side of defence.

Chelsea and Atleti chiefs already know how each other works, having negotiated a deal for midfielder Conor Gallagher in the summer.

After entering the final year of his Chelsea contract, Gallagher joined Atleti in the summer for €40million (£33.7m / US$44.2m).

Gallagher has impressed under Simeone so far and recently scored in consecutive La Liga matches against Valencia and Rayo Vallecano, prompting Atleti to dip back into the Premier League market.

Chilwell could get Atletico Madrid lifeline

Chelsea will be happy to let Chilwell leave during the January transfer window as Enzo Maresca would rather use either Marc Cucurella or Levi Colwill at left-back.

Maresca told Chilwell to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer as he was not in the coach’s plans at that stage. The Englishman went on to be linked with major Turkish clubs such as Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, though no such move materialised.

Chilwell has since been reintegrated into the Chelsea senior squad and made his first appearance of the season during the 5-0 thrashing of Barrow in the League Cup.

But Chilwell is unlikely to settle for being a backup player, which means he simply has to consider January offers to leave Chelsea.

It remains to be seen whether the 27-year-old is open to the idea of leaving the Premier League altogether and heading to Spain.

Although, Gallagher will probably try to convince him to make such a move. Plus, joining Atleti would allow Chilwell to continue playing at a very high level.

Should the full-back decide that he would rather stay in England, then he should receive offers from several Premier League sides. On September 17 it emerged that Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town are both tracking his situation ahead of making potential bids in January.

It is unclear at this stage how much Chelsea would want before selling the player, or whether they would rather loan him out first.

Chelsea originally paid Leicester City a reported £45-50million (up to €59.3m / US$65.5m) to sign Chilwell in August 2020, and they are in a good position to demand a decent fee as his contract does not expire until June 2027.

Although, clubs such as Atleti, Palace and Ipswich will not want to pay anywhere near £50m for him as they know he is not fully in Maresca’s plans.

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Meanwhile, sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that Chelsea are planning for a quiet January window after a good start to the season under Maresca.

Chelsea continue to be linked with Victor Osimhen, though that move appears unlikely amid his Galatasaray loan spell.

TEAMtalk understands that Chelsea will not be making any expensive additions to the squad unless they find a player who can make a huge impact on the team.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran – who has been named as an alternative to Osimhen for Chelsea – has been told how to secure a blockbuster move to Real Madrid.

Duran’s uncle said: “We are talking about a player who, if he has his feet on the ground, if he lets himself be guided by his advisors, will be very great because he is very young and is not yet mature as an athlete.

“If his behaviour was not the best, it is normal; you have to let him see it and he will correct it. Having character is different from seeing or believing that others are less than me.

“Not speaking to people is not character for me, but because I am related to him and have known him since I was a child we believe that we have already achieved everything and since he is young, he may suddenly think that, but I have enormous faith that he is going to correct his behaviour.

“Jhon Jader is still a 20-year-old boy and there is a lot of room for improvement. When he plays as a starter, he will be among the top scorers in any league he plays in.

“God gave him virtues that he has to take advantage of and polish, such as his aerial game or getting behind the backs of defenders. Let’s hope that the next sale is to Real Madrid.”