Chelsea's Omorodion transfer collapse shakes up transfer window

Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion's long-awaited move to Chelsea has fallen through, raising uncertainty over Conor Gallagher's move in the opposite direction. The £34.5m deal for Omorodion has been hit by contractual issues, prompting Chelsea and Atletico to consider bringing Joao Felix back to London. Felix spent time on loan at Stamford Bridge in 2023.

Omorodion's potential exit had prompted Atletico to secure an £82m deal for Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez. Despite the hiccup with Omorodion, Manchester City still expect Alvarez's move to go ahead. Álvarez is due to arrive in Madrid after his Copa América holiday and is scheduled to play at Atlético on Monday.

Atlético have agreed to pay £64m upfront with an additional £17m of potential add-ons for Alvarez. This would mark a record sale for City and a significant profit on the £14m River Plate paid for the Argentine forward in January 2022. Alvarez has scored 36 goals in his 103 appearances for City since arriving in 'Etihad Stadium two and a half years. years ago, and has won several titles, including two Premier Leagues, the FA Cup, the Champions League, the Super Cup and the Club World Cup in 2023.

In other Chelsea news, the club announced their tenth signing of the summer, Wolves winger Pedro Neto, in a £52m deal. This follows the addition of several more players during this transfer window. However, a deal for Palmeiras teenager Estevao Willian is on the cards for next summer.

Omorodion, who scored eight goals in 35 La Liga appearances last season while on loan at Deportivo Alavés, was expected to replace Gallagher, who failed to agree new contract terms with Chelsea. Gallagher had already completed the first part of his medical at Atletico last week and had attracted interest from six other Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa and Tottenham.

In other transfer news, Chelsea striker Armando Broja is set for a move to Stuttgart, with early talks underway. The 2024 summer transfer window officially closes on August 30 at 11pm UK time in the Premier League, bringing it in line with Europe's other major leagues.