Tottenham Hotspur have now received a huge blow in their pursuit of Rodrigo Bentancur cover, with Aston Villa closing in on a familiar midfield target.
Conor Gallagher is one player Tottenham Hotspur have long been linked with, with interest stretching back to last summer.
This transfer window, Spurs were once again offered the opportunity to sign the former Chelsea midfielder following Rodrigo Bentancur’s latest injury, which is expected to rule him out for 13 matches.
Tottenham, however, are not alone in the £25m race for Gallagher, with Aston Villa also keen on the Englishman, and reports suggest Unai Emery’s side is close to reaching an agreement.
Tottenham transfer blow as Aston Villa move ahead for Conor Gallagher
Fabrizio Romano has now provided a further update on Conor Gallagher, revealing that Aston Villa have verbally agreed a deal with Atletico Madrid to sign the former Chelsea man.
Romano explains that Tottenham were in the race and had asked for the conditions of a potential Gallagher deal following Bentancur’s injury.
However, it is Villa who have been given the green light from Gallagher, with the club now waiting for the next steps on the player side.
Spurs concerns over Gallagher wages as window moves on
We reported earlier that while Spurs were interested in signing Gallagher, with a belief that he is an ideal fit for Thomas Frank’s system, there were some concerns.
Gallagher’s wages, set at £150k, are a matter of concern for Tottenham, as he would sit at the very high end of the club’s wage structure, with Spurs open to a deal only if the financial terms could be negotiated.
With a move to Aston Villa now imminent, it suggests Spurs were unable to push those wages down and are set to miss out on a midfield target with just over two weeks remaining in the winter window.