First, Pape Sarr jetted off to the Africa Cup of Nations with pre-tournament favourites Senegal. Then, Lucas Bergvall pulled up with a muscle grievance within the 3-2 loss at Bournemouth. suffered a hamstring damage late on on the Vitality Stadium. The Uruguayan is now .
Abruptly, Tottenham have gone from an abundance of match central midfielders, to simply two. Nicely, three in the event you think about Yves Bissouma, however hasn’t this season, and neither will we. Joao Palhinha and Archie Grey are the senior choices for the under-fire Spurs boss. Even then, the latter is just 19 years of age.
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Affirmation of Bentancur’s absence compelled Spurs into motion. The north London facet, as reactive as ever, instantly . Spurs are long-term admirers of the previous Chelsea man, and they’re lastly touchdown a long-standing goal. The 25-year-old appeared set for a transfer to Aston Villa, just for their rivals to trump the Villans within the race to land the out-of-favour Atletico Madrid star, with Gallagher anticipated to finish his Spurs change imminently.
Do Spurs actually need a midfielder of Gallagher’s profile? Nicely, not completely. However what they do want is our bodies in a key space of the pitch. The England worldwide brings a wealth of Premier League and European expertise to the Stadium. Gallagher’s an brisk, high-presser who’ll primarily act as Frank’s excessive enforcer in the midst of the park.
Because the Villa defeat confirmed, Spurs want this tenacious presence within the midfield. The Villans primarily walked by the Spurs squad on their strategy to Emiliano Buendia’s opener of their within the capital.
Gallagher would have no less than confirmed a modicum of defensive diligence to stop the aim from occurring within the first place. The difficulty, although, isn’t surrounding Gallagher’s work price. Followers must be joyful to welcome the midfielder to the membership, even together with his Chelsea roots.
Conor Gallagher’s work price will probably be a welcome addition for Spurs followers (Getty Pictures)
Somewhat, the problem stems from the shortage of development, each as a membership and a staff. Villa have been a lower above Spurs of their FA Cup conflict on the weekend. Ten years in the past, Spurs have been a staff competing for the Premier League title. In that very same season, Villa succumbed to relegation as they completed backside, 22 factors off security.
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Within the time since, Villa have proven the requisite nous available in the market to speculate correctly within the squad. Spurs… much less so. It comes again to Spurs’ reactiveness available in the market. Would they’ve gone all weapons blazing for Gallagher had Bentancur not required surgical procedure for a hamstring damage? That… stays to be seen.
Moreover, Gallagher isn’t the ball progressor Spurs so desperately want. It’s no secret that Frank’s facet are struggling to advance play by the center of the pitch. Certainly, they’ve tried the fewest by balls (11) within the Premier League this season. 9 gamers have tried extra. Manchester Metropolis have tried 16 by balls in 2026 alone.
Thomas Frank’s Tottenham facet is crying out for a ball progressor (REUTERS)
Getting the attacking gamers on the ball within the remaining third is pivotal for any staff. But Spurs simply aren’t getting the likes of Xavi Simons, Randal Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel concerned as regularly as followers would hope. It means Spurs rank fifth backside for photographs per 90 (10.2) in England’s high tier this time period. They’ve generated simply 23.87 Anticipated Objectives within the 2025/26 Premier League marketing campaign, and are far and away the division’s greatest xG overperformers.
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The attacking numbers are damning. And whereas the addition of Gallagher is welcomed as Spurs search so as to add depth in a significant place, he isn’t the answer to the membership’s development woes. That’s to not say Gallagher can’t pry aside defences.
In his, and Mauricio Pochettino’s, remaining season at Chelsea, solely Cole Palmer (11) registered extra Premier League assists than Gallagher (7) for the Blues. His 53 key passes and 11 massive possibilities created have been additionally each second for Chelsea, serving to focus on this weapon in Gallagher’s arsenal.
Gallagher confirmed his artistic talents whereas at Chelsea (PA Archive)
Nonetheless, to place merely, Spurs are crying out for a deep-lying playmaker, of which Gallagher shouldn’t be. He’ll make surging runs ahead from deep, and this progressive nature to his sport will assist as this pragmatic Spurs facet transition from defence to assault. It’s all effectively and good bringing in a midfielder of Gallagher’s profile, although, with out addressing the elephant within the room.
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We’re on the halfway stage of the switch window and Spurs stay available in the market for an additional central midfielder and a winger, the latter to masks and . Hayden Hackney and Aleix Garcia of Middlesbrough and Bayer Leverkusen, respectively, are rumoured targets to ease the playmaking points which are holding Spurs again.
Gallagher’s addition, as sideways a transfer as it could appear on paper, is a step in the suitable course. At this stage, Spurs want our bodies in midfield and Gallagher instantly elevates the standard of the squad. On the switch window as a complete, although, his signing must be the primary on the journey slightly than the endgame. Failure to construct upon the ex-Blues midfielder’s arrival, and the membership will probably be in for a really bumpy second half to the season.