Tottenham Hotspur have hijacked Aston Villa's proposed move to sign Conor Gallagher with the midfielder set to sign for the North London side.
Aston Villa had agreed a deal with Atletico Madrid to sign Gallagher on an initial loan, with a mandatory option to make the move permanent. Discussions between Villa and the player over personal terms had been ongoing, but interest from Spurs has now seen that deal collapse.
Tottenham have offered a permanent €40m (£34.6m) fee for Gallagher, who has decided to join Spurs ahead ofAston Villa.
The Athletic are reporting that Gallagher will fly to London on Tuesday to undergo a medical. An agreement has been reached on a long-term contract.
Gallagher is open to a return to London after two seasons in Spain, having struggled for regular first-team football under Diego Simeone this season.
The formerChelsea midfielder has started just four La Liga games in 2025-26 and a return to the Premier League will improve his hopes of making the England squad for this summer's World Cup. Gallagher has not been capped by the Three Lions since June 2025.
Spurs will be delighted to agree a deal for the 25-year-old, who will boost their depleted midfield stocks. Rodrigo Bentancur has been ruled out for around three months after undergoing hamstring surgery, while James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevki remain sidelined.
Head coach Thomas Frank has discussed his desire for reinforcements this month. The club are also nearing a deal for Santos left-back Souza. The 19-year-old is in the UK to undergo medical tests ahead of a proposed €15m move from the Brazilian side.
Spurs are currently 14th in thePremier League table and have won just one of their last six league games. Frank's side are eight points adrift of the Champions League places as things stand. Spurs host West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday.