A football player wearing a Chelsea FC shirt raises his head with a frustrated expression as a worried face emoji appears in the background.

The curse that Conor Gallagher will face at Atlético: bad precedents

The English midfielder will have to prove that the number "4" is not a cursed number at the club

Conor Gallagher has been one of the names of the summer at Atlético de Madrid . The rumours about his possible signing caught Atlético fans by surprise, who did not think that a Premier League player (and an English one) would sign for their club. However, in the offices of the Metropolitano , with patience and without rushing, they were cooking up one of the biggest signings of the market.

And even with the problems that arose with Samu Omorodion and Chelsea , Conor Gallagher 's arrival at Atlético was not in danger. Jorge Mendes did his thing again and offered   his compatriot   Portuguese forward Joao Felix to the London club, which helped both operations to finally take place. This is how, after many weeks, the red-and-whites managed to officially announce the signing of the "Pitbull".

Football player wearing an Atlético de Madrid shirt in front of the team's crest.
Conor Gallagher is now a red and white player | Conor Gallagher

It was the same day that the welcome event for the new signings would begin. A night that will be remembered for the union of the men's and women's teams when it came to showing the fans the new faces of the season. It was there that Conor Gallagher appeared for the first time at the Metropolitano and, as we exclusively anticipated in EstoesAtleti, wearing a number that does not bring back great memories, the number 4.

The last carriers

And that number has not been one of the most remembered in recent years at Atlético de Madrid . Gabriel Paulista was the last one to wear it and nobody can ignore that his time at the club has been neither great nor great. He was barely able to wear the red and white shirt since he arrived last January and was one of the first players to leave during the summer for Turkey.

Geoffrey Kondogbia is perhaps one of the most memorable players of recent years. He came on as a substitute for Thomas Partey and won the league trophy in his first season at Atlético Madrid, but Cholo Simeone 's lack of opportunities led to his departure. Before that, two right-backs like Santiago Arias and Guillerme Siqueira also wore the number 4 shirt behind him, with very discreet seasons without many memories for the Atlético fans.

However, the last "4" that Atlético de Madrid fans hold dear is Mario Suárez . The Madrid youth player of the red-and-white club rose to the first team in the 05/06 season, although it was not until the 10/11 season when he settled after several loans to Valladolid, Celta and Mallorca . There were five years in which the midfielder played 185 games where he generated 10 goals, in addition to lifting six trophies as a colchonero.

Football player in red and white striped shirt raising his arm in a stadium full of spectators.
Mario Suárez, the last great bearer of the number 4 | Atlético de Madrid

He left the number 4 at the top, and still no one has managed to come close to the numbers of the footballer born in Alcobendas . So things are going well, at Atlético de Madrid it is hoped that Conor Gallagher, also a midfielder, will finally be the chosen one to succeed with that number on his back. Only time will tell, so we will have to keep a close eye on the red and white team to see if they can "hit metal" in one of the most exciting seasons ever remembered.