Conor Gallagher, a 24-year-old English midfielder, is at a critical juncture in his career. The player, who has been in Madrid since last Thursday, completed his medical examination with Atlético Madrid and visited the Cívitas Metropolitano with his family, leading to expectations of an imminent announcement of his signing. 

However, negotiations between Atlético and Chelsea have taken an unexpected turn, complicating the situation to the point where he has had to return to London.

Gallagher, who has been training with Atlético in recent days, now faces uncertainty about his immediate future. He had to return to London at Chelsea's request after talks between the two clubs over his transfer stalled.

Chelsea had seemingly secured the arrival of Atlético’s Samu Omorodion, but that deal fell through at the last minute, frustrating the hopeful conclusion of Gallagher's move.

The English midfielder stayed in Madrid for several days, waiting for the negotiations to progress, but that didn’t happen, and the London club asked him to return to the English capital.

Now, according to The Athletic, Gallagher will have to undergo a medical examination with Chelsea and won’t train with the first team because the club "doesn't want to disrupt preparations for the new season by inflating the squad with players who are no longer in their plans."

Gallagher's transfer to the Spanish club currently hinges on Atlético’s ability to offload Joao Félix, whose future might once again be linked to Chelsea.

For now, Gallagher remains in London, waiting to see how his future will unfold, separated from the first team along with other players like Romelu Lukaku and Trevoh Chalobah.