A Tottenham insider has suggested Spurs could have a good chance of bringing an English star back from LaLiga, as he may be “fed up with trying to learn Spanish.”
Tottenham have a wealth of top midfield options. Among them are: Rodrigo Bentancur, Joao Palhinha, Lucas Bergvall, Pape Matar Sarr, Archie Gray, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.
Bentancur, Palhinha and Sarr are the options who have been used most this season, and to good effect, with Spurs fourth in the Premier League and having not lost in either of their first two Champions League games, while also cruising through their first League Cup tie.
But Thomas Frank wants to add another star to his midfield: Conor Gallagher. Reports have suggested he’s a top target for Tottenham and a move back to the Premier League is most likely if Atletico Madrid let him go.
Former Spurs scout Bryan King has gone a step further, suggesting Gallagher might actively want to return specifically to London for an interesting reason.
He told Tottenham News: “I’d certainly pay £52m for Gallagher. Tottenham think they’ll need another central midfield player, especially one of his quality.
“Why would Atletico want to sell him if he’s been doing quite well? At that price, he must have been doing quite well.
“Is it because he’s fed up with trying to learn Spanish? Maybe he wants to come back to London, that could be the reason.
“I think maybe the novelty of living in Madrid may have worn off. They like foreign players to learn the language, maybe he’s finding that a difficult part of settling in.”
Gallagher’s struggles with Spanish
It has been clear in interviews since he joined Atletico that Gallagher did not pick up Spanish quickly. A Google search will tell you as much.
At his unveiling, he spoke a few words, very slowly, but has never been confident in interviews.
In April 2025, he was asked by a reporter if he could tell them he scored a good goal in the language, and had to get them to say it in Spanish first, before saying “the boss wants me to learn quicker.”
That could have made the pair’s relationship difficult, as in a video during training, Diego Simeone was heard telling Gallagher, in Spanish, that English, for him, was “imposible.”
Reports have also suggested that to make things easier for Gallagher, his role was slightly altered to allow him to play closer to English speaker Cesar Azpilicueta.
But if Atleti feel they can be more effective without Gallagher playing there, then surely they will do so, and if that means he’s to be sold, Spurs could well benefit.
Tottenham round-up: Frank key to Bentancur contract
There is a deal in place for Tottenham midfielder Bentancur to renew his contract at the club, and TEAMtalk is aware that manager Frank played a key role in that.
Subsequently, it’s believed Micky van de Ven will be the next to be handed a new contract.
Meanwhile, Gabby Agbonlahor has revealed he’s unsure about Tottenham’s decision to sign Xavi Simons.
He stated the forward isn’t as quick as expected, and suggested he spends a good amount of time “on the floor.”