Aston Villa close to pipping Tottenham and Manchester United to England international

Aston Villa are close to reaching an agreement with Atletico Madrid for midfielder Conor Gallagher. The England international is also on the radar of Tottenham who were expected to formalize their interest this month.

Sky Sports has reported that it is actually Villa who have made progress on a deal for the player, and are in the final stages of a loan agreement. The agreement would include an option to buy the player, which could become mandatory if certain conditions are met.

Talks between the player and club will now follow in the coming days. Gallagher is reportedly very keen on a return to England after falling down the pecking order at Atletico Madrid.

The 25-year-old spent five years on the books at Chelsea from 2019-2024, though much of that time was spent on loan. His most successful loan spell came during the 2021/22 season at Crystal Palace where enjoyed a breakout campaign scoring eight goals in 34 Premier League appearances.

He returned to Chelsea the following season and became a first team regular for the better part of two years. He skippered the Blues on occasions in the absence of Reece James and Ben Chilwell. He left for Atletico in the summer 2024 but has had to settle for mostly a bit part role.

Gallagher is now seeking regular first team minutes ahead of next summer’s World Cup. The box-to-box midfielder was also a known inclusion on the shortlist of midfield targets for Manchester United, but the Red Devils have yet to make a formal approach.

Villa have now jumped to the head of the queue. The club was reportedly able to offer the compensation desired by Atletico due in part to the decision to decline the buy option for Harvey Elliot.

The Liverpool loanee has struggled for impact at Villa, and Villa have now decided not to meet the obligation to buy Elliot for £35m. That sum will be paid instead to Atletico Madrid as a buy option for Gallagher, if the loan conditions are met.

Nadji is a football writer with over 10 years of experience covering the Premier League. His work has been featured on Football Fancast, Arsenal-Mania, and Arsenal.com, where he has built a reputation for delivering sharp analysis, engaging storytelling, and in-depth coverage of the game.