Tottenham have continued to explore Conor Gallagher’s situation and amid a ‘definitive move’ made by Aston Villa, they’re aware it’s now or never.
Spurs have been considering a move for the midfielder for some time, as he is also linked to Manchester United and Aston Villa.
The Villa links have been showing particular strength in the last few days and Spurs are alerted to the fact they may have to act soon if they are serious about signing Gallagher.
My colleague, Graeme Bailey, brought news of Villa making a ‘definitive move’ for the 25-year-old on Friday, January 9.
Sources admit there has been some concern at Tottenham over the fact Gallagher’s contract at Atletico Madrid stretches towards the very top of their own wage ceiling,
However, if the finances around his personal terms can be negotiated, there has always been potential of attempting to bring him back to English football.
Now, there are new indications that Spurs remain interested in such a deal on the back of Villa thundering in.
They are becoming stretched in midfield and there is concern about how the second half of the season plays out if they do not add another option to the centre of the park.
Tottenham have long-term interest in the former Chelsea man and did look into a deal before he joined Atleti for £34m.
Sources believe he has an interest in making a switch back to the Premier League, despite a determination to make things work in Spain.
My fellow correspondent Graeme Bailey has been informed Gallagher is ready to return to these shores, and Atleti are prepared to cash in if their demands are met.
Interest in the player comes at a sign when we have also revealed that Tottenham have made discreet enquiries for Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton.
The club are looking to find the right blend of pushing the bar in terms of the quality of signings they can make, while also having an awareness that they need to make sure a certain level of Premier League pedigree exists within the set up.
Tottenham still have not made a decision on Joao Palhinha, who had one of his more impactful performances for them on Saturday.
It is still looking like the choice over whether to trigger the option to buy from Bayern Munich, which is within his loan agreement and worth around £26m, will be made further down the road.
Want more breaking transfer lines from original sources? Add TEAMtalk as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.
Latest Tottenham news – Time to go, Thomas / Brahim Diaz offer? / Dragusin bid rejected
In other news, Thomas Frank has been told, in no uncertain terms, that his time at Tottenham is now up and that he should be writing his resignation letter after fans responded to the latest negative result and performance from his side.
Elsewhere, Spurs have reportedly tabled an offer of £52million to sign Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz, as the north London outfit look to appease a fanbase that is growing increasingly agitated.