Tottenham 'properly gazump' Premier League rivals in Conor Gallagher transfer race as £34.7m deal agreed

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly struck an agreement to sign Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid, beating one of their Premier League rivals to his signature.

The Lilywhites were heavily linked with a swoop for the former Chelsea man after losing Rodrigo Bentancur to a serious hamstring injury, which will allegedly keep him out for three months.

Earlier on Monday, it was reported that Spurs had learned the conditions of a deal for Gallagher, who has struggled to become a mainstay of the Atletico setup under Simeone.

Aston Villa were also aiming to bring the England international back to the Premier League, while Manchester United were heavily linked as the Red Devils aim to bolster their engine room.

However, Spurs appear to have won the race for his signature, as Fabrizio Romano reports that Gallagher has chosen to join the Lilywhites over Unai Emery's side.

How much will Tottenham pay for Conor Gallagher?

The Italian journalist adds that Villa and Atletico had come to an agreement over a fee, but the move to the West Midlands collapsed as Gallagher never gave the thumbs-up to the transfer.

Instead, the 25-year-old has chosen to join the Europa League winners on a permanent deal, and he has now informed Atletico of his desire to make the move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Additional information from Miguel Delaney states that Spurs 'properly gazumped' Villa in the race for Gallagher, whom the Lilywhites did not look likely to move for only a matter of hours ago.

Gallagher will reportedly cost Tottenham €40m (£34.7m), and the midfielder will leave Atletico just one-and-a-half years after joining in a permanent deal from Chelsea in 2024.

After that high-profile transfer saga, the England international registered seven goals and seven assists in 77 matches for Simeone's side, including three strikes and one helper from 27 games in the current campaign.

Gallagher's final appearance for Atletico came in last week's Supercopa de Espana semi-final loss to Real Madrid, and he previously made 136 appearances in the Premier League with Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace.

How will Conor Gallagher fit in at Tottenham?

Even without the injuries to Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall - who is out for the time being with an unspecified issue - Gallagher was the exact profile that Spurs were lacking in their engine room.

Tottenham fans had become disillusioned with Thomas Frank selecting two of Bentancur, Archie Gray and Joao Palhinha in midfield, but the signing of Gallagher will bring a sense of dynamism and progression to Tottenham's midfield.

The Europa League winners have struggled in build-up phases all season long, but Gallagher will add energy, ball carrying and exceptional work-rate to the XI during his prime years.