Tottenham have announced the signing of England midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid for a fee of £34 million.
Aston Villa also approached Atletico for Gallagher, wanting an initial loan deal with an option to buy, but the La Liga club were reluctant unless they were obliged to buy him.
Sky Sports News reports that Spurs are in the market for a midfielder after Rodrigo Bentancur missed most of the season with a hamstring injury. Gallagher signed a five-and-a-half year contract.
The 25-year-old signed for Atletico in the summer of 2024 for around £38m.
Gallagher has extensive experience in the Premier League, making 136 appearances for the likes of West Brom, Crystal Palace and Chelsea before joining Atletico Madrid.
Gallagher provides a significant workload and plenty of offensive output
Spurs confirmed the extent of Bentancur’s injury on Tuesday after the South American midfielder underwent surgery on his right hamstring.
“The Uruguay international midfielder sustained an injury in last week’s Premier League match against Bournemouth and will begin his rehabilitation alongside the medical staff,” the club said in a statement.
Elsewhere, members of Thomas Frank’s first team are currently not allowed to leave the club.
Matthijs Tell has interest from Paris FC and Roma’s Radu Dragusin, but they remain part of Frank’s plans.
Spurs have also signed left-back Souza from Santos in a £13m deal. The 19-year-old was brought in to provide cover and competition for Destiny Udogie.
