Tottenham are close to signing Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid and aim to give him his debut in Saturday’s Premier League match against West Ham. The former Chelsea midfielder is scheduled to arrive in England on Tuesday morning for a medical and to finalise the £34.6 million transfer.
Gallagher has agreed a five-and-a-half-year contract. Spurs want to complete the deal in time for him to be registered by Friday’s deadline and be available for selection in the London derby.
Background on the transfer
Spurs acted quickly to hijack Aston Villa’s negotiations with Atletico after Rodrigo Bentancur picked up a hamstring injury in the 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth. Bentancur missed the FA Cup loss to Villa and faces up to three months out.
Gallagher was set to join Villa but Tottenham stepped in with a better offer. If everything proceeds smoothly, he will train with his new teammates for the first time on Wednesday and be ready for Saturday.
In case of any delays, his first appearance would likely come against Burnley the following Saturday. He cannot be added to the Champions League squad until after the league phase concludes.
Gallagher’s situation at Atletico
Limited playing time at Atletico this season, with only six starts across all competitions, drove Gallagher’s wish to leave Spain and return to the Premier League for regular football.
The move to Tottenham should help his chances of making England’s World Cup squad this summer. In late 2025 he told Diario AS that consistent minutes are essential to return to Thomas Tuchel’s plans.
“That’s one of my goals,” he said. “I have spoken to Thomas Tuchel and he has told me what he needs from me and what I have to do to return to the team. And it seems that, right now, it’s very difficult for me to get to that point. But I will continue to do my best to get more minutes and, hopefully, return to the national team.”
