Journalist pours cold water on Tottenham talks for £25m Europa League winner

Journalist Tom Barclay claims Tottenham have not yet made a move for a £25m midfield target, despite recent rumours of informal talks.

It seems clear that Conor Gallagher is on his way out of Atletico Madrid this month, with the midfielder keen on playing regularly in the lead-up to the World Cup.

Over the last month, the former Chelsea man has been heavily linked with a move to Spurs, but the Lilywhites are not front-runners.

That is according to a recent update by TEAMtalk, who claimed that while Tottenham have accelerated efforts to land Gallagher, Aston Villa have already launched a bid for the midfielder.

In fact, some sources have even suggested Villa are close to reaching an agreement with Atletico for the Spurs target, despite Tottenham holding ‘informal talks’.

Tottenham have not made a move for Conor Gallagher yet

However, the reports about the Lilywhites’ interest in the 25-year-old have now been contradicted by The Sun’s Tom Barclay.

Barclay insisted that, as things stand, Thomas Frank’s men have not got involved in the race for Gallagher.

He further adds that Villa are exploring signing the midfielder on an initial loan deal with an obligation to make the move permanent in the summer.

Barclay wrote on X: “Understand Aston Villa are in for Conor Gallagher with a possible loan/obligation move from Atletico. Believe Spurs, at this point, are not yet in for the England man.”

Understand Aston Villa are in for Conor Gallagher with a possible loan/obligation move from Atletico. Believe Spurs, at this point, are not yet in for the England man

— Tom Barclay (@TomBarclay_) January 12, 2026

Would Gallagher be the right fit for Spurs?

Some sources believe that Gallagher is viewed as an ‘ideal fit’ for Thomas Frank’s midfield, given his energy and his work off the ball.

However, the reality is that Thomas Frank’s long-term future at Tottenham is far from certain at the moment. The Lilywhites may thus be hesitant to invest in a player who may or may not fit into the plans of the next manager.

• READ MORE: Tottenham Hotspur make big decision on signing Rodrigo Bentancur replacement in January

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