Conor Gallagher joins Tottenham! Ex-Chelsea star completes €40m transfer to Blues' London rivals Spurs from Atletico Madrid

Gallagher signed for Atletico Madrid in 2024 after being forced out at Chelsea and made 50 appearances for the club during his first season in Spain, scoring four goals. However, his importance to manager Diego Simeone has diminished this term, with the England international only making four starts in La Liga during the first half of the 2025-26 campaign.

He will now get a fresh start at Tottenham, where he will hope to nail down a regular place in the starting XI and boost his chances of making England's squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Speaking to the club's media channels, Gallagher said: “I'm so happy and excited to be here, taking the next step in my career at an amazing club. I wanted to be a Spurs player and thankfully the club felt the same. 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 here and want to create special moments and memories together.”

Head coach Frank added: “Conor is a top midfielder, who we have worked tirelessly to add to our squad. He is still young, so has plenty of room for improvement, but also has huge experience across the Premier League, La Liga and with the England national team.

“Conor has captained teams so will bring leadership, maturity, character and personality to our dressing room, while his running power, pressing ability and eye for goal will strengthen us in a key area of the pitch. I’m excited about working with him every day and I know the fans will love what he will bring to the team.”

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Spurs' interest in Gallagher has been long standing, but hopes of a deal in the past were hampered by his role at Chelsea, with the two teams being fierce London rivals. However, Spurs found an opportunity to rekindle their infatuation with the former Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion loanee as his game time at Atletico dipped this season.

They weren't alone in chasing his signature. Aston Villa, who unlike Tottenham are enjoying a fruitful season as they chase Champions League qualification while sitting only six points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, were keen on Gallagher as manager Unai Emery looked to add an energetic midfielder to his squad. However, the Villans were gazumped by Tottenham and will now have to look elsewhere in order to increase their own strength in depth.

The news comes as a timely boost for Frank, who is facing a battle to prove to Tottenham fans that he is the right manager to take the club forward. The Dane has been hampered by injuries to a number of first-team regulars during his first term in charge in north London, with neither James Maddison nor Dejan Kulusevski featuring in any games so far in 2025-26. Dominic Solanke has only just returned to action, while Mohammed Kudus won't be available until after the March international break due to a thigh problem.

Bentancur is another currently on the sidelines. The Uruguayan is facing three months out, also with a thigh injury, but Tottenham have managed to act quickly in order to bring in a replacement who already has plenty of Premier League experience thanks to his previous spell with Chelsea. His arrival is also handy as he will count as a homegrown player, replacing Brennan Johnson who left for Crystal Palace earlier this month.