According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur are on the brink of signing former Chelsea star Conor Gallagher ahead of Premier League rivals Aston Villa.
Chelsea’s decision to part ways with Gallagher divided the fan base as he was one of their standout performers during the 2023/24 campaign and he shone for Atletico Madrid during his debut season, but he has fallen in the pecking order this term.
Before Gallagher joined Atletico, he was also linked with several Premier League clubs, including Spurs.
The north London outfit were often mentioned as a potential destination for Gallagher and they have renewed their interest in the England international in recent days.
Spurs have upped their interest following Rodrigo Bentancur’s injury, though they have faced competition from Aston Villa.
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A return to the Premier League in this window was always likely for Gallagher, who is looking for more regular game time to boost his chances of playing for England at this summer’s World Cup.
Initial reports on Monday suggested Aston Villa were more likely to land Gallagher as they struck an agreement with Atletico Madrid over a loan deal with a buy option.
However, Spurs later swooped and ‘agreed a deal’ with Atletico Madrid worth £34m, with this permanent deal obviously preferred by the Spanish giants as they are guaranteed money.
Sky Sports have provided more details. They explained: ‘Spurs were in the market for a midfielder after Rodrigo Bentancur was ruled out for the majority of the season with a hamstring injury.
‘Aston Villa and Tottenham both approached Atletico about signing Gallagher. But talks are now heading firmly in the direction of Spurs. They are long-term admirers of Gallagher. They were interested when he signed for Atletico in August 2024.’
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A subsequent report from talkSPORT has revealed that Gallagher is due to undergo his ‘medical’ on Tuesday after Tottenham’s ‘hijack’ on Aston Villa.
Their report claims:
‘Conor Gallagher will have a medical with Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday ahead of his move to the Premier League club, talkSPORT understands.
‘Spurs have hijacked Aston Villa’s move for Gallagher, who is set to sign a five-and-a-half year deal with the north Londoners. As revealed exclusively last week by talkSPORT, Villa wanted to take Gallagher on loan initially with a view to a permanent deal in the summer. However, Spurs’ offer for the former Chelsea star is more appealing to the Spanish club.’
The report also noted that Gallagher favours Spurs over Villa ‘due to a guarantee of minutes while the location is more advantageous for him’.