Tottenham confirm signing of midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the signing of midfielder Conor Gallagher from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid for a fee in the region of £35 million on Wednesday.

Tottenham beat Premier League side Aston Villa to secure the signature of the English midfielder, hijacking Villa’s deal to take the English international on loan, following advanced talks with the player.

Unai Emery’s side had extensive discussions to bring Gallagher back to England, initially on a loan deal for the rest of the season.

However, Atletico were rather keen on sanctioning a permanent move for the 25-year-old English midfielder.

Spurs manager Thomas Frank played a major role in persuading the 26-year-old to return to London after spending almost all his playing days as a Chelsea academy graduate.

Gallagher put pen to paper on a five-and-a-half-year contract with the north London outfit, which will end in the summer of 2031.

He could make his Tottenham debut this weekend at home against a faltering West Ham United. The versatile defender brings significant Premier League experience, having made 136 top-flight appearances across spells with Chelsea, Crystal Palace, and West Brom before his 2024 move to Spain.

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

Gallagher’s reported move is driven by a burning ambition to secure his spot in Thomas Tuchel’s final World Cup squad for 2026—he’s determined to rack up as much game time as possible before the selection is locked in.

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