Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the arrival of Conor Gallagher from Atlético Madrid.
The midfielder has joined the North London outfit in a deal worth £35million.
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Gallagher has agreed a five-and-a-half-year contract with Spurs until the summer of 2031.
He will wear the number 22 jersey for Spurs, previously worn by Brennan Johnson. The man who officially scored the winning goal in last season’s Europa League final left Spurs for Crystal Palace earlier this month.
Gallagher’s move comes after Thomas Frank’s side hijacked Aston Villa’s pursuit of the England international.
Villa were keen to sign Gallagher on loan until the end of the season.
However, Atletico preferred an immediate permanent transfer, allowing Spurs to take advantage and sign the 25-year-old.
Gallagher could make his debut for his new club this weekend when Spurs host West Ham on Saturday afternoon.
He previously played 136 Premier League games for Chelsea, Crystal Palace and West Brom before moving to Spain in 2024.
Despite appearing in all 19 of Atletico’s LaLiga games this season, Gallagher has only managed to start four times in the competition.
His arrival at Spurs is set to be followed by the signing of Brazilian full-back Souza from Santos after a £13m deal was agreed.
Meanwhile, Gallagher will be hoping to secure a place in the Three Lions’ World Cup squad upon his return to the Premier League.
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He has won 22 caps for England since making his debut under Gareth Southgate in November 2021.
However, Thomas Tuchel has only named him in one of his squads since taking over at the start of last year.
Gallagher’s last international appearance was the friendly defeat against Senegal in June.
“It was very easy”
“I’m so happy and excited to be here and take the next step in my career at a great club,” said Gallagher after completing his move to Spurs.
“I wanted to be a Spurs player and luckily the club felt the same way. 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 and want to create special moments and memories together.”
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“Conor is a top midfielder who we have worked tirelessly to acquire,” added Spurs coach Thomas Frank.
“He is still young so has a lot of room for improvement, but also has great experience in the Premier League, La Liga and with the England national team.
“Conor has captained teams and will therefore bring leadership, maturity, character and personality to our dressing room, while his running ability, pressing ability and eye for goal will strengthen us in a key area of the pitch.”
“I look forward to working with him every day and know the fans will love what he will bring to the team.”
The Pitch Prospect verdict
Reacting to Gallagher’s arrival at Inside Spurs, The Pitch Prospect’s Abbi Summers said it was a good signing, albeit over two years late.
She said: “I wanted him two years ago, before he went to Atlético.”
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“I thought he was a perfect fit for what we needed in midfield.”
“Someone who has energy in midfield, has legs, runs into the penalty area late, plays from box to box and also likes to score goals from midfield.”
“We didn’t have a midfielder who really scored goals… I can’t remember the last one.”
“He would have helped Ange (Postecoglou) a lot, I think that too sometimes. But I like him as a player.”
“We love bringing in players late. Like even James Maddison, we were linked with him before he went to Leicester.”