Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid.
The Athletic reported on Monday that Tottenham had agreed a €40million (£34.7m; $46.6m) deal with Atletico for Gallagher. Aston Villa held a strong interest in the midfielder but no agreements were reached amid Villa’s desire to maintain financial discipline.
Tottenham announced his arrival on Wednesday on a “long-term” deal.
“I’m so happy and excited to be here, taking the next step in my career at an amazing club,” Gallagher said in a press release.
“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.”
Spurs had been interested in Gallagher across multiple windows and he was a target for former head coach Ange Postecoglou. The club asked about Gallagher in the summer of 2023 but did not make a formal offer and their interest carried over to the following year, when he eventually joined Atletico in a £38m deal.
He adds to Thomas Frank’s options in midfield, with Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall currently out with injuries and Pape Matar Sarr away representing Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.
“Conor is a top midfielder, who we have worked tirelessly to add to our squad,” Frank added. “He is still young, so has plenty of room for improvement, but also has huge experience across the Premier League, La Liga 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.”
Gallagher is a graduate of Chelsea’s academy and had loan spells at Charlton Athletic, Swansea City, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace before breaking into the first team in the 2022-23 season, making 45 appearances in all competitions that campaign.
Chelsea rejected a £40m bid from West Ham United in 2023, with Gallagher going on to captain the side regularly in 2023-24 due to Reece James and Ben Chilwell being sidelined by injuries.
In 2024, Gallagher turned down three offers of a two-year contract extension with a club option to extend for a third and was eventually sold to Atletico, with Chelsea wanting to avoid losing the England international on a free transfer the following year.
He made 77 appearances in total for Atletico, scoring seven goals, but only made four La Liga starts this season.
Tottenham are next in action in the Premier League against West Ham on Saturday.
Why Spurs targeted Gallagher
Analysis from Jack Pitt-Brooke
Tottenham have been interested in Conor Gallagher for years, ever since he was coming towards the end of his Chelsea contract and Ange Postecoglou saw him as the perfect man to add energy into their midfield. But Spurs could never do the deal, despite interest that spanned multiple windows, to Postecoglou’s frustration.
But Spurs have never really needed Gallagher as much as they do now. Their midfield has ground to a halt in recent years, suffering from under-investment and injuries to key players. Too many of the signings have not been ready, or quite good enough. Too much pressure has been placed on Rodrigo Bentancur, who is not as good as he was, and is now out for the next three months with a hamstring injury.
Tottenham desperately need someone who can set the tempo and drive forward in the middle of the pitch. A more experienced partner for Archie Gray, a more progressive alternative to Joao Palhinha.
Pape Matar Sarr will be back from the Africa Nations Cup soon but he cannot do it all himself. Gallagher would bring many of the football qualities Spurs need right now but also some of the mental qualities and experience, having proved himself at Chelsea and Atletico Madrid in recent years. It would be a statement of intent at a time when Tottenham need one.