Atletico Madrid complete €40m sale to Tottenham Hotspur

Atletico Madrid have completed the sale of Conor Gallagher to Tottenham Hotspur, 18 months after he joned the club from Chelsea. The 25-year-old was keen for a more important role, having struggled for a consistent starting spot at Atletico.

Gallagher joined from Chelsea in a €42m deal in the summer of 2024, and will head back to London now for a widely reported €40m, after Spurs announced the deal on Wednesday afternoon. It will see Los Colchoneros make a minor loss of €2m, but with €12m of his fee already ammortised, Atletico’s accountants will no doubt see the deal as a positive one. It is worth noting that Joao Felix also moved the other way that same summer for €52m, a deal that most believe would not have happened without the Gallagher switch.

This Conor Gallagher moment that made Diego Simeone and the whole Metropolitano go crazy.

Good luck, Conor! pic.twitter.com/k9j6ZkUDTh

— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) January 14, 2026

Gallagher’s struggles for a starting spot

In total, Gallagher has made 77 appearances for Atletico, scoring seven goals and giving seven assists, but was usually used as a rotational option, or on the flank as a makeshift option. This season he has played 1,062 minutes for Atletico in 27 games, making him Diego Simeone’s 12th most used player, as per Marca.

Gallagher’s exit leaves Atletico Madrid on the hunt for a midfielder before the end of the January transfer window. Diego Simeone has been using captain Koke Resurreccion far more than expected this season, with Johnny Cardoso battling injuries for much of the campaign. Manchester United and Aston Villa had also shown interest in Gallagher.

“I'm so excited to show the fans what I can do on the pitch and hopefully give them some special moments and memories.”

Conor's first words as a Spurs player pic.twitter.com/Z3RlkezXzv

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 14, 2026

Conor Gallagher’s farewell message

After Tottenham announced the deal, Gallagher took to social media to thank the fans and the club.

Atleti muchas gracias por todo! It has been an absolute pleasure to be part of the family for the last 2 years. The culture and community of the club is very special. It’s been a privilege to represent this great club and all the people involved in and around it. The fans, you gave me all of your support and I always gave you my best at every given opportunity.

View this post on Instagram

A huge thank you to all of my teammates and staff associated within the club, thank you for everything. I wish the club all the best for the rest of the season and for the foreseeable future. An experience and a city that I will never forget.

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