Tottenham Hotspur sign Conor Gallagher after beating Premier League rival in £35million deal

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the arrival of Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid.

The midfielder has joined the north London outfit in a deal worth £35million.

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Gallagher has penned a five-and-a-half-year deal with Spurs through to the summer of 2031.

It comes after Thomas Frank’s side hijacked Aston Villa’s pursuit of the England international.

Villa had been keen to sign Gallagher on an initial loan deal until the end of the season.

However, Atletico preferred an immediate permanent transfer, allowing Spurs to capitalise and land the 25-year-old.

Gallagher could make his debut for his new club this weekend, with Spurs hosting West Ham on Saturday afternoon.

He previously made 136 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, Crystal Palace and West Brom before moving to Spain in 2024.

Despite featuring in all 19 of Atletico’s LaLiga matches this term, Gallagher was limited to just four starts in the competition.

His arrival at Spurs is set to be followed by the signing of Brazilian full-back Souza from Santos after a £13million deal was agreed.

Meanwhile, Gallagher will be hoping to secure a place in the Three Lions’ World Cup squad upon returning to the Premier League.

He has won 22 caps for England since making his debut under Gareth Southgate in November 2021.

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However, Thomas Tuchel has named him in just one of his squads since taking over at the start of last year.

Gallagher’s last international appearance came in the friendly defeat to Senegal in June.

‘It was very easy’

“I’m so happy and excited to be here, taking the next step in my career at an amazing club,” Gallagher said upon completing his move to Spurs.

“I wanted to be a Spurs player and thankfully the club felt the same. It was very easy, it happened very quickly and I’m ready to get on the pitch.

“I know how great the fans are, I’m really happy to be a part of it here and want to create special moments and memories together.”

“Conor is a top midfielder, who we have worked tirelessly to add to our squad,” Spurs boss Thomas Frank added.

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“He is still young, so has plenty of room for improvement, but also has huge experience across the Premier League, La Liga and with the England national team.

“Conor has captained teams so will bring leadership, maturity, character and personality to our dressing room, while his running power, pressing ability and eye for goal will strengthen us in a key area of the pitch.

“I’m excited about working with him every day and I know the fans will love what he will bring to the team.”

talkSPORT verdict

Reacting to the arrival of Gallagher on Inside Spurs, talkSPORT’s Abbi Summers said it’s a good signing, albeit over two years too late.

She said: “I wanted him two years ago before he went to Atletico.

“I thought he was a perfect fit for what we need in that midfield.

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“Someone that does have energy in midfield, has legs, late runs into the box, box to box player, likes to add goals as well from midfield.

“We haven’t had a midfielder that scores goals properly… I can’t even think of the last one.

“He would have benefited Ange (Postecoglou) a lot, I think that at times as well. But I like him as a player.

“We love to get players too late. Like even James Maddison, we were linked with him before he went to Leicester.”

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