All of which explains why Chelsea have sold him. The surprise lies only in the destination, not the departure.
The midfielder’s imminent move, to Atletico Madrid, has felt inevitable since Clearlake Capital discovered that academy products bring pure profit when it comes to PSR. It made Gallagher simultaneously Chelsea’s most valuable player and their most dispensable.
The various realities of the 2024 Chelsea can jar when they collide. Yesterday saw Gallagher flying to Madrid and brought a Conference League draw, pairing Chelsea with Braga or Servette. It shows a slide in status. They were Fifa Club World Cup winners two years ago: now they have qualified for Europe for the first time in the Todd Boehly era.
Regression has been dressed up as progress, sales required to offset silly spending. The £33m recouped for Gallagher won’t cancel out the punts on various random young midfielders – Omari Kellyman, Lesley Ogochukwu, Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei and Andrey Santos come to almost £100m between them – or pay for the fee of Romeo Lavia (who played 32 minutes in his debut season) but in accounting terms, it became invaluable when some £1.2bn was committed in fees and managerial pay-offs.
All of which rendered Gallagher a potent symbol: of a Chelsea that was lost, of the unintended consequences of the financial fair play regulations, of Clearlake’s ability to focus on the balance sheet when selling, even if some of their signings suggest they know the value of nothing. He is their identity crisis in human form.
Denne historien er fra August 06, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 06, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
No title until Reds become road warriors, warns Slot
Liverpool boss says team must match away form of rivals
United stuck in 'purgatory' and facing only one way out
When one prominent football figure caught a glimpse of the Manchester United dressing room recently, they immediately recognised a scene they had seen from rival clubs. That was a squad that \"doesn't know what next\" and feels like it's \"going nowhere\". It isn't intentional, of course, but is a feeling that starts to grip a group when there's no sense of clarity.
Fifa transfer rules 'contrary to EU law', Diarra case finds
Fifa will have to update key paragraphs of its transfer rules to ensure punishment of players for breaking contracts is less draconian, after a European Court of Justice ruling on the Lassana Diarra case.
Marital rape is not rape, argues Indian government
The Indian government has opposed calls to classify consensual sexual acts committed by a husband against his wife as \"rape\", saying that to do so could have an impact on conjugal relationships and disturb the institution of marriage.
Screaming statue tribute to doctor raped and killed in India causes controversy
A bust installed outside a state-run hospital in India where a resident doctor was raped and killed has sparked anger and shock as it depicts a woman screaming in agony, her head thrown back and eyes wide open.
Haitian gang shoots at least 70 people in town rampage
Gang members brandishing automatic rifles have stormed through a town in Haiti's main breadbasket region, killing at least 70 people and forcing another 3,000 to flee.
Beirut hit again by Israel as Iran vows not to back down
Israeli military claims strikes targeted new Hezbollah leaders
Police officers win appeal in athlete stop and search case
Two former Metropolitan Police officers have been handed their jobs back after winning an appeal against a ruling that they had lied about a stop and search incident involving British athlete Bianca Williams.
Royal Navy chief apologises for submarine service abuse
The head of the Royal Navy has apologised after an investigation found \"misogyny, bullying and other unacceptable behaviours\" in the submarine service.
Women say gender equality in the workplace has stalled
Gender equality in the workplace has stalled as women report experiencing many of the same challenges as they did nearly 30 years ago, a new survey of high-flyers suggests.