Aston Villa wanted 'top midfielder' in January before £34million transfer move

Aston Villa were active on the incoming and outgoing fronts during the January transfer window

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Aston Villa lost 1-0 at home to Brentford last time out. They weren’t able to find an equaliser against the Bees at Villa Park and slumped to a disappointing defeat. Unai Emery’s side remain 3rd in the Premier League table after 24 fixtures.

The Midlands outfit are in the top four along with Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United. They will be eager to return to winning ways this weekend. Up next is an away trip to Dorset to play AFC Bournemouth.

Aston Villa wanted Tottenham Hotspur new boy Conor Gallagher in January

Aston Villa wanted to sign Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid during the January transfer window, according to The Athletic. They missed out on his signature to league rivals Tottenham Hotspur though. Spurs forked out £34million to land him from La Liga. Villa were said to have seen the ex-Chelsea man as a decent market opportunity.

Gallagher, 25, could have been seen by Emery as someone to bolster their midfield department. The England international, who has 22 caps under his belt, would have provided more competition and depth to his options in the middle of the park. In addition, he could have injected more quality into his ranks.

The Surrey-born man moved to Spain back in 2024 and went on to play 77 games for Atletico Madrid under the guidance of Diego Simeone. He rose up through the academy at Chelsea and later made 95 appearances for their first-team, finding the net on 10 occasions. Gallagher was also loaned out away from Stamford Bridge at Charlton Athletic, Swansea City, West Brom and Crystal Palace to get some experience and boost his development.

What now for Conor Gallagher amid Aston Villa winter interest?

Aston Villa will be disappointed to have not signed Gallagher. He would have been perfect, especially now with John McGinn, Boubakar Kamara and Youri Tielemans injured. However, it wasn’t to be and he is now catching the eye with his new team Spurs.

After making the switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he said: "I'm so happy and excited to be here, taking the next step in my career at an amazing club. I wanted to be a Spurs player and thankfully the club felt the same. It was very easy, it happened very quickly and I'm ready to get on the pitch. I know how great the fans are, I'm really happy to be a part of it here and want to create special moments and memories together."

Meanwhile, Spurs boss Thomas Frank added: "Conor is a top midfielder, who we have worked tirelessly to add to our squad. He is still young, so has plenty of room for improvement, but also has huge experience across the Premier League, LaLiga and with the England national team.

"Conor has captained teams so will bring leadership, maturity, character and personality to our dressing room, while his running power, pressing ability and eye for goal will strengthen us in a key area of the pitch. I'm excited about working with him every day and I know the fans will love what he will bring to the team."