Rumors are swirling that Chelsea has made a player-plus-cash offer for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, including England midfielder Conor Gallagher as part of the deal. Since Todd Boehly and his consortium took over Chelsea in May 2022, the club has spent over £1 billion, but the results on the pitch have yet to meet expectations.
This summer, Chelsea has been particularly active in the transfer market, having already signed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Marc Guiu, Omari Kellyman, and Tosin Adarabioyo. However, their activity is far from over. The club recently appointed Enzo Maresca as their new manager following the mutual departure of Mauricio Pochettino.
Several players have left Chelsea this summer, including Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech, Ian Maatsen, Lewis Hall, and Omari Hutchinson. There have also been persistent rumors about Conor Gallagher being sold to help Chelsea comply with profit and sustainability regulations.
In Spain, there are reports that Chelsea has “increased its offer” for Barcelona center-back Araujo, considering a “fantastic” deal for the Uruguayan international. Barcelona’s president Joan Laporta and director of football Deco are reportedly open to transferring Araujo if the right offer comes along, as Chelsea continues to push for his signing.
Boehly is aiming to reach an agreement with Barcelona to significantly lower the transfer cost and has proposed including a star player in the deal who might interest Barcelona’s manager, Hans-Dieter Flick, but is deemed surplus to requirements by Maresca. Barcelona has made it clear that they will demand between €90 million and €100 million for Araujo.
Gallagher is the player Boehly is willing to offer in exchange for Dewsbury-Hall, who has already moved to Leicester City. The England international Gallagher, a Chelsea captain, is seeking a new challenge as he finds himself with limited opportunities at the club. Chelsea’s offer to Barcelona reportedly includes €45 million in addition to Gallagher’s permanent transfer in a bid to secure Araujo.
Gallagher’s role with the England national team has been a topic of discussion as well. During the first two group games of England’s Euro 2024 campaign, he came off the bench for matches against Danesh and Serbia. He was then included in Gareth Southgate’s starting lineup for the match against Slovenia but was substituted at halftime during their 0-0 draw. He later returned as a substitute for the final 14 minutes of extra time in England’s thrilling semifinal win against Slovakia.
Former Germany international Didi Hamann has voiced skepticism about Gallagher’s future involvement in the tournament. Hamann suggested that Gallagher’s performance wasn’t the issue for England. He criticized the manager’s strategy of targeting weaker players, a tactic he believed reflected poorly on the manager. Gallagher’s substitution at halftime against Slovenia was seen as indicative of his likely absence for the remainder of the competition.