Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has aired his criticisms of the Blues’ transfer strategy this season – namely, their decision to sell club captain Conor Gallagher Atletico Madrid.

While Gallagher’s move to Atletico is yet to be officially confirmed, it appears to be a matter of time at this point – we are waiting on Atletico to finalise the transfer.

Sutton says he finds the move, and Chelsea’s whole state of operations, to be ‘baffling’. He thinks that Gallagher was the ‘heartbeat’ of Chelsea’s team last season, noting his energy and positive attitude on the pitch.

Sutton’s time at Chelsea was nothing short of a disaster. After an excellent spell with Blackburn Rovers, he scored just a single goal in 28 Premier League games for the Blues.

What did Chris Sutton say about the decision from Chelsea to sell Conor Gallagher?

Speaking with Best Online Poker Sites, Sutton said: “I find Chelsea baffling at the moment. I’ve never understood the Conor Gallagher sale. I remember this first started doing the rounds back in January when Tottenham were in for him.

“I thought he was Chelsea’s second best player last season behind Cole Palmer – he was the heartbeat of the team at times. He’s really driven and an all round good player who will certainly take some replacing.

“Obviously, the talk is that Chelsea need to free up funds to bring more players in. It doesn’t even seem as if Conor is desperate to go or anything, but if he doesn’t feel wanted then I suppose he’s better off elsewhere!

“I think he’s been a really good player for Chelsea – he came through the academy and was a major player for both West Brom and Crystal Palace when he was out on loan there. He’s a very accomplished footballer and I think he’ll be a big loss for Chelsea – they’re going to miss him next season.”