Image source: bbc.com
Tottenham have completed the £35 million signing of England midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid on a contract running until 2031. Spurs beat Aston Villa to the 25-year-old former Chelsea player, with head coach Thomas Frank praising Gallagher’s leadership and pressing. The move comes as Tottenham seek midfield cover after Rodrigo Bentancur was ruled out for at least three months.
Tottenham land Conor Gallagher for £35m on deal to 2031 from Atletico
Tottenham confirmed the signing of England midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid for £35 million. The 25-year-old joins on a deal running until 2031 after Spurs beat Aston Villa to his signature. Gallagher, formerly of Chelsea, said he was “so happy and excited” to take the next step of his career at what he called “an amazing club.”
Gallagher moved to Atletico in August 2024 for about £33 million, with Portugal forward Joao Felix going the other way to Chelsea. Gallagher has made 22 appearances for England and has played only once under current coach Thomas Tuchel, featuring for 59 minutes in a 3-1 friendly defeat by Senegal. He was an unused squad member at the 2022 tournament and played five times at Euro 2024, where England lost the final to Spain.
Spurs coach Thomas Frank described Gallagher as “a top midfielder” and said the club had worked “tirelessly” to add him. Frank said Gallagher’s experience as a captain would bring “leadership, maturity, character and personality” to the dressing room, adding that his running power, pressing ability and eye for goal will strengthen the side “in a key area of the pitch.”
Tottenham had been looking to add midfield options after Rodrigo Bentancur was ruled out for at least three months. The Uruguay international needs surgery after sustaining a hamstring injury in last week’s 3-2 Premier League defeat by Bournemouth. Spurs are 14th in the table on 27 points after 21 games and have won just one of their last six league matches.
They remain in contention for automatic qualification for the Champions League knockout phase, with Spurs 11th in the standings, but they were beaten by Villa in the third round of the FA Cup last Saturday. Tottenham’s next match is at home to West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday (1500 GMT). Gallagher made 136 Premier League appearances before joining Atletico, where he played 77 times across all competitions and scored seven goals.
