Real Madrid star linked with shock move to Aston Villa after Unai Emery's side miss out on Conor Gallagher

Gallagher left Chelsea for Atletico in August 2024, and after 18 months away, he is back in the Premier League, this time with Tottenham. Villa were keen on the 25-year-old but in the end, the ex-Crystal Palace loanee joined Spurs for around £35 million ($47m). Upon his arrival, the midfielder, who comes in at a time when new team-mate Rodrigo Bentancur has been ruled out for three months with injury, expressed his delight at the switch.

"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," he said. "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."

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank was equally thrilled to have Gallagher on board, saying the ex-West Brom loanee brings leadership and running power, among other qualities. The Dane admitted he is "excited" to work with him soon.

He 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."

Following that disappointment, Villa could turn their attention to Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos. That is according to talkSPORT, who noted that the former Arsenal loanee was an unused substitute in Madrid's shock Copa del Rey loss to second-tier side Albacete on Wednesday. 

To that end, Spanish football expert Terry Gibson told the publication, "There has been talk today in Spain that he is heading to Aston Villa so that’s the reason he didn’t get on last night. Aston Villa, having missed out on Conor Gallagher, the talk is that Dani Ceballos is the other choice."

Ceballos previously played under Emery back when he was in charge at Arsenal, with the experienced player revealing that the Spanish coach is a big fan of his.

He previously said, "I went to play at a club like Arsenal because, apart from its stature as a big club, Unai practically came to my house to tell me that he loved me as a player, that he’s been in love with me since I played for Real Betis. The confidence of a coach is key to giving your best performance. Unai told me that I would be important with him at Arsenal, and I didn’t have any doubts about going there."

The 29-year-old, who has started just seven times in all competitions for Madrid this season, will be keeping a watchful eye on how new Los Blancos boss Alvaro Arbeloa treats him in the coming weeks as the transfer window ticks down. There is just over a fortnight for him to seal an exit, and Villa may be following his situation closely.