Tottenham Hotspur face the same old stumbling block in pursuit of Conor Gallagher as Aston Villa look to take control of the £25m race.
It has been widely reported that Atletico Madrid have decided to cash in on Gallagher after the midfielder asked to leave the club in search of regular game time.
Some sources say that the former Chelsea man is viewed by Spurs as an ‘ideal fit’ for Thomas Frank’s midfield, but the Lilywhites are in a race against time.
This is because over the last couple of days, we have heard that Aston Villa are stepping up their interest in Conor Gallagher. In fact, Fabrizio Romano claims that Villa and Atletico are close to an agreement, with Ben Jacobs putting the price at around £25m.
Tottenham have concerns over Conor Gallagher’s wage demands
A new report in TEAMtalk has now confirmed that Villa have made serious advances to the 25-year-old over the last few days.
This has left Tottenham in a ‘now or never situation’ regarding Gallagher, with the North London club needing to act swiftly to secure the player.
However, the report says that there is concern at Spurs that the midfielder’s current contract at Atletico places him at the very high end of the Lilywhites’ wage ceiling.
It is explained that Spurs would be open to doing a deal for the former Chelsea man if the finances around his personal terms can be negotiated.
Are Spurs right to be cautious about Gallagher’s salary demands?
It has been reported by various sources that Tottenham are prepared to significantly increase their wage ceiling in an effort to attract top talent.
According to Capology, Gallagher earns €173k per week (£150k), which should not be a problem for Spurs to meet.
However, the Lilywhites’ concerns are perhaps understandable as Gallagher is not an elite talent and putting him in such a high bracket may not be desirable.
There is a risk that the next manager would not be keen on the midfielder, and Spurs would find it challenging to move him on if he is on high wages.