A one-time member of the midfield ranks at Barcelona has this week opened up on his disappointment with Chelsea’s decision to sell Conor Gallagher to Atlético Madrid.
England international Gallagher of course sealed a big-money move to Spain’s capital over the summer.
After a lengthy saga spanning several months, the brass at the Wanda Metropolitano ultimately managed to thrash out an agreement with their counterparts at the aforementioned Chelsea.
The deal, upon completion, gave rise to something of a split amongst those of a Chelsea persuasion, many of whom were happy to see the back of Gallagher.
Others, however, were altogether less pleased, of the opinion that the 24-year-old’s drive and unique characteristics made him an invaluable member of the club’s ranks.
And one individual who appears to fall into the latter category comes in the form of Emmanuel Petit.
Speaking during a recent appearance on the ‘Seaman Says’ podcast with David Seaman, ex-Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder Petit was drawn on Gallagher’s Atlético switch.
And the Frenchman, as cited by Mundo Deportivo, was not at all shy in revealing his frustration with those in a position of power at Stamford Bridge:
“I was very, very upset about the situation because he is really a player I like. Conor Gallagher was one of the best players last season, along with Cole Palmer , and he was on the transfer list!
“You know how important it is to have some English players for the fans, the identity, the DNA, for everything. I think it’s very important, so they have to be very careful. So, they sold Gallagher, one of the best players last season, for a very low price, 42 million euros. And when you look at the money they spent over the last three or four seasons, I think: what the hell?”
Conor Laird | GSFN
