Diego Simeone's parting message to Conor Gallagher after Chelsea fly home star

Conor Gallagher's move from Chelsea to Atletico Madrid remains in limbo, but a personal message from their boss Diego Simeone might just be what he needs in a time of uncertainty.

The England international was left stranded in a Madrid hotel for five days waiting for the go-ahead to complete his £33million transfer, before the Blues booked a flight for him to return to London.

Gallagher had already undergone his medical and even posed for pictures inside their stadium with the media, highlighting how the deal progressed to the final details.

Contracts had been prepared to be signed by both clubs before Chelsea pulled the plug on their £35m deal for Samu Omorodion, which threatened to scupper both transactions.

Gallagher has now returned to training with the Blues as the transfer saga of the summer takes another remarkable twist, although there is still some hope yet that the deal will go through.

Simeone has made it clear from his side that he is keen to sign the 24-year-old midfielder and sent the Cobham academy graduate a message to reassure him.

Just before he boarded his flight back to the UK, the Argentinian coach reached out to Gallagher and informed him of his desire to bring him to the Metropolitano. According to the Telegraph, Simeone was keen for Gallagher to know where he stood and made it clear that he rates him highly.

It comes after Gallagher reportedly rejected three contract offers from Chelsea to extend his deal beyond June 2025, with a shorter contract length suggesting the club's intent was to renew his deals in a bid to sell him for a higher price.

The majority of the Chelsea fanbase have spoken of their fury at selling their homegrown star, who appeared in all but one of their 38 Premier League games last season. Gallagher was also given the captain's armband by former boss Mauricio Pochettino, but Enzo Maresca doesn't see the tireless midfielder as being a central part of his plans.

Chelsea have significant depth in midfield with Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia arriving for a combined £280m in the past 18 months. They are looking to strengthen in other areas, as evidenced by their initial interest in Omorodion before the deal collapsed.

The west London outfit are locked in talks with Atletico to find a solution for Gallagher, and that could see Joao Felix return to the club where spent six months on loan during the 2022-23 campaign.

Much like Gallagher, Felix's future is still up in the air as Chelsea desperately try to offload the Portugal international. The 24-year-old has been valued at around £42m and negotiations are ongoing with his agent Jorge Mendes, but by no means is that deal guaranteed to go through either.

While all parties are looking for a positive resolution, Gallagher staying at Stamford Bridge beyond the transfer deadline on August 30 is no longer seen as an impossibility - a remarkable scenario that surely neither he nor Simeone would want to materialise.