Clearlake Capital have spent close to £1.5 billion on signings since their takeover in 2022 and they are likely to continue the spending spree.

In order to balance the books, they have been offloading several high-profile players too with the latest being Gallagher, who joined Atletico.

When asked about his exit, Gallagher explained: " Chelsea make their own decisions and they’ve brought in some top players on long contracts."

"That wasn’t the situation with me but, in the end, what happened is good for everyone, so everyone is happy."

Gallagher was keen on securing around £250,000 per week with a new contract, but the Blues refused to offer more than £150,000 weekly.

Having entered the final year of his contract, the Blues decided to cash in on him. There was some Premier League interest, but Atletico eventually won the race to sign him for £34 million.

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