Chelsea have told Conor Gallagher he may not be allowed back into the first-team if he turns down a move to Atletico Madrid, a report has claimed.

The Blues have accepted an offer for the midfielder from Atletico in recent days believed to be worth £33.8m, though he is yet to agree personal terms with the Spanish side.

Reports have also emerged that Gallagher has already rejected two offers of a new contract from Chelsea, though their latest proposal remains on the table.

The Times report Chelsea have now warned Gallagher he could face ‘exile’ from the first-team and their Cobham training facility if he does not sign for Atletico or agree to the club’s last offer of a new deal.

In addition to Atletico’s offer, Chelsea expect Tottenham Hotspur to make a rival bid in the coming days. Spurs have a long-standing interest in Gallagher and failed with an attempt to sign him last summer when he was first made available for transfer.

However, the report adds Spurs are prioritising a new forward and are unlikely to move for Gallagher until the end of the window.

Gallagher’s current contract at Stamford Bridge expires in 2025, hence the club’s ‘desperation’ to sort his future before the end of this month.

There have been questions privately at Chelsea over Gallagher’s suitability to playing in Enzo Maresca’s possession-based system, despite the midfielder excelling under Mauricio Pochettino last season. Pochettino continually stressed Gallagher’s importance to the team and the need for the club to tie him to a long-term contract during his one-season stay in west London.

Gallagher is due to return to pre-season training next week. He and Chelsea’s other Euro 2024 finalists – Cole Palmer and Marc Cucurella – will head to Cobham rather than join up with the rest of the first-team squad on their tour of the USA.