Sources say Chelsea change stance over player wanted by Atletico Madrid and Aston Villa | OneFootball

Simon Phillips is having a strong day behind the keyboard. We’ve already heard some exclusive information from him about Benoit Badiashile, now he’s back with some really heartening information about Conor Gallagher.

He says that Chelsea’s stance has “softened” a little in recent weeks, and that the Blues are no longer so desperately keen to sell the midfielder. His contract has one year left to run, and the priority has been to shift him before he gets into that period, but there seems to be some acceptance that the smart move now may be to pay him what he wants and protect his value rather than cashing in now.

Philips cites Aston Villa, Tottenham and Atletico Madrid as interested teams, and we’re sure a big offer would still be received well by Chelsea, no matter what their stance is now. But it seems the chances of him staying are gradually creeping up again, and after the Euros we may see a fresh push to agree a deal.

Great timing for some good news

This good news all lines up perfectly with the big event coming up later tonight – England’s opening game of Euro 2024. The Three Lions are in action against Serbia, perhaps their toughest game in the group, and by all accounts Gallagher is in line for a start, after winning one of the few true battles for a starting spot from this most recent camp.

If Gallagher is indeed picked to start, it’s another huge boost to his value and another affirmation of his huge progress in the last 12 months. What better way to celebrate that than signing him up to commit his future to Chelsea? It’s a great move both in footballing terms and to keep the fans happy. Surely there’s a way to make the numbers fit.