Revealed: The key role Diego Simeone played in convincing Conor Gallagher to join Atletico Madrid as Chelsea man prepares to sign potential £200,000-per-week contract

Gallagher is set to join Atletico for a rumoured fee of £34m ($43m), after contract talks between Chelsea and the central midfield player broke down ahead of the new season. Aside from the Blues' refusal to budge on contract terms, the key factor in deciding Gallagher's move to Spain was Atletico boss Simeone, according to The Telegraph.

During talks, Simeone told Gallagher that he views him as a key component of a new-look Atletico side, following the recent departures of a raft of experienced players including Alvaro Morata, Memphis Depay, Stefan Savic and Gabriel Paulista. The Chelsea academy graduate, who was an important figure in Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea dressing room last summer, is apparently viewed as the perfect fit for Simeone's system and style of play.

Gallagher is poised to sign a five-year deal that would keep him in Madrid until 2029, with the England international set to earn as much as £200,000 per week in Spain, including bonuses. This kind of money highlights how in-demand the 24-year-old was this summer, with Spurs and Aston Villa also pushing hard to get his signature.

We're still waiting for the transfer to be announced officially, but everything looks set in place for Gallagher to join Simeone in Madrid this August, to the annoyance of many Blues fans. Not only will the talented midfielder have a good chance of challenging for domestic trophies in 2024-25, he'll also compete in the Champions League, a competition Chelsea failed to qualify for last season.