Tottenham are all set to make their second signing of the winter as club brings in midfield reinforcement.
Tottenham fans were urging the club to act swiftly in the transfer window after it became clear that the squad needed reinforcements for the second half of the campaign. The Lilywhites have not been good enough under Thomas Frank, and the lack of positive performances has been a clear indication of that. There are several glaring issues within the squad that needed to be addressed quickly during the winter.
Chief among them was the absence of a natural box-to-box midfielder. Given how heavily Thomas Frank relies on his midfielders to influence both ends of the pitch, not having an #8 has proved costly for the Danish tactician. To make matters worse, the injury crisis at N17 has not helped his cause either, as he has struggled to select the right profiles in the middle of the park.
To compound the problem, regular starter Rodrigo Bentancur also suffered a hamstring injury earlier this week. After starting four matches in the last 10 days, the Uruguayan international was clearly fatigued and in need of rest. As a result, he picked up a hamstring injury, which has ruled him out for the next three months.
Tottenham reach agreement with Atletico Madrid for Conor Gallagher
It comes as no surprise that Tottenham are now moving quickly in the transfer market. The injury crisis at N17 may have forced the club to bring in urgent reinforcements and back Thomas Frank for the remainder of the campaign. With Bentancur becoming the latest injury setback, it became evident that the Lilywhites needed to sign a replacement who could slot into midfield and operate as an #8.
Recent reports had been linking Spurs with Atletico Madrid star Conor Gallagher. The England international was keen on a winter move after falling down the pecking order under Diego Simeone. He was struggling for regular game time and growing increasingly frustrated with his role on the bench this season. Alongside the Lilywhites, Aston Villa were also reported to be interested in his signature and were offering him a more attractive deal, making them the early favourites to land him.
However, it now appears that the North Londoners have managed to convince Gallagher to move to N17 at the eleventh hour. As per David Ornstein (via X), Spurs have reached an agreement worth over €40m with Atletico Madrid for the England international. The 25-year-old is reportedly sold on the project and is set to fly to England to complete his medical and finalise the details of a long-term contract.
With the announcement only pending, it looks like Tottenham have learned from their wounds in the summer. The club had almost signed Eberechi Eze, only for Arsenal to hijack the deal out of nowhere. To make this worse, Eze even scored a hattrick for Arsenal in the North London derby, causing further meltdown.
This time around, Spurs have been vigilant, while also executing something similar to what their North London rivals did. Even Fabrizio Romano had reported that Villa were on the verge of a club-to-club agreement for Gallagher.
The key factor behind this deal was Tottenham’s willingness to meet the asking price immediately and secure the player on a permanent transfer. This was something Aston Villa were unwilling to do, as they were pushing for a loan move with an option to buy next summer. With Bentancur sidelined at a crucial point in the season, the Lilywhites had no choice but to act decisively and bring in a stronger replacement for the rest of the campaign, regardless of who ends up managing the side in the coming weeks.
A sensible deal?
Signing Gallagher appears to be a smart move for the North Londoners. The England international is determined to earn a place in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad next summer, meaning he will be eager to deliver strong performances for Spurs in the second half of the campaign. He would slot straight into the midfield and provide a genuine box-to-box presence, with the freedom to push forward when required.
Will the 25-year-old turn out to be a good investment for the Lilywhites? Only time will tell. For now, fans will be hoping he can make an immediate impact and help turn the club’s Premier League fortunes around.