Saga over! Conor Gallagher FINALLY leaves Chelsea as he seals £36m move to Diego Simeone's free-spending Atletico Madrid

Conor Gallagher has signed for Atletico Madrid in a £36 million ($47m) deal from boyhood club Chelsea.

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• Gallagher finally leaves Chelsea
• Joined the Blues as an eight-year-old
• Completes £36m move to Atleti

• Table of Contents

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gallagher has signed a five-year contract at Metropolitano Stadium, with reporting that Chelsea have received a fixed £36m fee for the midfielder, after a pretty lengthy saga that at one point saw Atletico try to pull out of the deal. Plenty believe the 24-year-old has been treated harshly by Chelsea, the club he joined as an eight-year-old, and there's no doubt he'll be looking forward to a fresh start in Spain.

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• WHAT GALLAGHER SAID

  Chelsea have released a statement confirming Gallagher's departure accompanied by a video montage of his best moments at the club. The statement reads: "Conor Gallagher has completed a permanent transfer to Atletico Madrid. We wish Conor the very best as he begins a new chapter in his career."

  Gallagher has also said a final goodbye to Chelsea fans in a post on social media. "To everyone at Chelsea, thank you for making my dreams come true," he said. "It's been an absolute honour every time I put on the shirt, and it was a dream come true to captain the team on many occasions. I loved every moment. These memories will last forever. I appreciate all the love and support from the fans. Hearing the chant of my name at the Bridge is a special feeling, and the banner you displayed [against Spurs] meant the world to me. Thank you for everything. I wish the club all the best for the future, and I hope to see you all soon at Stamford Bridge."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gallagher missed only one Premier League game for Chelsea last season but was told by new boss Enzo Maresca that he wouldn't be a regular starter at Stamford Bridge, according to . That, and an unsatisfactory contract offer, was enough to convince the England international to leave his boyhood club.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Gallagher has become the fourth major signing of the summer for Atletico, after Alexander Sorloth, Robin Le Normand and Julian Alvarez, which takes their spending past the £150m ($195m) mark.