Tottenham see off competition from Premier League rivals to sign England midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid
By Lewis Mason
Updated 14/01/2026 at 16:40 GMT
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Conor Gallagher left Chelsea in 2024 to move to Spain, but has struggled for game time and consistent form in Diego Simeone's side. With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, Gallagher is keen to impress Thomas Tuchel ahead of the tournament. He can do that by playing a part in improving the form of Thomas Frank's Tottenham Hotspur, after they won the race to bring him back to the Premier League.
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Tottenham Hotspur have won the race to sign England midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid, subject to international clearance.
Spurs confirmed on Wednesday Gallagher had signed a "long-term contract" at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a deal reportedly worth £35 million.
Aston Villa and Manchester United had also been linked with a move to bring the former Chelsea player back to the Premier League.
"I'm so happy and excited to be here, taking the next step in my career at an amazing club," Gallagher told Spurs' official website.
"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."
The 25-year-old will be hoping that a return to England reignites his bid to force his way back into Thomas Tuchel’s squad ahead of this summer's World Cup.
To date, his involvement under the German has been limited to a single appearance, playing 59 minutes in a 3-1 friendly defeat by Senegal at the City Ground last June.
Spurs, meanwhile, have moved swiftly to strengthen their midfield options after Rodrigo Bentancur was ruled out for at least three months.
The Uruguay international is set to undergo hamstring surgery after picking up the injury during last week’s Premier League defeat at Bournemouth.
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Thomas Frank said: "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."
Gallagher joined Atletico from Chelsea in August 2024 for a fee of around £38m, scoring four goals and providing six assists during his first season in all competitions.
He made 50 appearances under Diego Simeone during his debut campaign, but has found first-team opportunities harder to come by during his second term, with the majority of his 27 appearances coming from the bench.
Gallagher's final match for Atletico saw him withdrawn at half-time in the 2-1 Spanish Supercopa semi-final defeat to Real Madrid.
Gallagher arrives at Tottenham with significant Premier League experience, having made 136 appearances in the top-flight for West Brom, Crystal Palace and Chelsea before his move to Madrid.
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