Why ex-Chelsea star Conor Gallagher could be forced to leave Atletico Madrid after just one season - explained

Following Atletico's recent signing of Argentine midfielder Thiago Almada from Brazilian outfit Botafogo, the Spanish giants have now exceeded the threshold of three non-EU players allowed within a La Liga squad. Gallagher could be the casualty, with the rule impacting English players since Brexit. There is believed to be more interest in the Englishman than in Samuel Lino, while Diego Simeone may want to keep Nahuel Molina at the club, according to a report by Cope in Spain.

Gallagher has already been linked with a return move to the Premier League in recent weeks, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United touted as holding an interest in the 21-cap England international. Former Chelsea academy graduate Gallagher joined Atletico from the Blues in a deal worth a reported £34 million ($45.6m/€39.1m) last summer.

La Liga's rule to only allow three non-EU players to be registered has existed for five decades, and was reportedly driven by Johan Cruyff's arrival at Barcelona according to Spanish sports newspaper AS. There are ways to get around these rules, such as applying for EU citizenship through a spouse or after having played in Spain for five years.

If Atletico do ultimately decide that Gallagher should be the player to leave the club in order to comply with La Liga's rules, it is believed the 25-year-old would be open to a Premier League return. Having spent a year learning from Simeone, Gallagher may return to England even more battle-hardened than ever before after impressing during his first season in Spain.