Tottenham have reignited their interest in Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher
Tottenham Hotspur are beginning to step up their transfer window activity for new boss Thomas Frank after completing a deal to sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham, while they have also triggered the £60 million release clause in Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White’s contract.
However, a deal for Gibbs-White has been stalling since last week, as Nottingham Forest have lodged a legal complaint against Spurs for breaching the contractual agreement details by triggering the release clause. But the North London club are now turning their attention to other targets as Champions League nights return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after a three-year absence.
Recent reports suggest Tottenham have revived their interest in Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher. The central midfielder moved to Atletico Madrid from Chelsea last summer and had a decent debut season in Spain, scoring three goals and registering as many assists in 32 La Liga games.
However, the England international struggled to establish himself in Diego Simeone’s side as a regular, and Atletico Madrid are now open to selling him after just one season. His potential availability this summer has put the Lilywhites on red alert.
Martin Allen expects Atletico Madrid to demand up to £50million for Conor Gallagher
It does look like the Tottenham midfield could undergo some changes before the new campaign commences. Lucas Bergvall will want to build on his impactful debut season at N17, while Archie Gray looks to cement his position in his preferred No.6 role after spending his debut campaign largely deputising in defence. Yves Bissouma is the likely midfielder to leave the club this summer, having been heavily linked with a switch to Turkish club Fenerbahce.
Conor Gallagher could become a good option to replace Bissouma at White Hart Lane. But if Spurs want to land the 25-year-old, former Brentford and Leicester City manager Martin Allen feels Atletico Madrid will demand up to £50million to let him leave.
“He’s hungry, he’s got desire, and he’s a winner, they’re all good traits,” Martin Allen exclusively told Tottenham News.
“He’s a good player. Therefore, he would be good for most Premier League clubs. Gallagher could easily join any of the top six; he’s easily at that level.
“You’d be looking at £50m to get him in at Tottenham, with Atletico then putting in a sell-on clause in case he does extremely well. Add-ons could even take that up to £60m if he scores a lot of goals, wins games and takes Tottenham to more cups.”
What should be Tottenham’s play?
Gallagher is a decent player with solid Premier League experience, and he also played for the senior England team. He is tenacious, combative, energetic, creative and can score goals, and prefers to operate as an advanced midfielder. Considering all such traits, the ex-Chelsea man would be a good fit into Thomas Frank’s system at Tottenham.
However, how much Atletico demands for Gallagher will be the most important point. As Allen says, the La Liga side’s demands for the player could be up to £50m. And if that turns out to be the case, then the Lilywhites must avoid a deal for the midfielder.
