Conor Gallagher is above all else a signing of convenience for Thomas Frank. He was, crucially, a player available at short notice, a Southerner looking for a move back to the Premier League at a time when Tottenham had been plunged into desperate need.
Not only the need for midfield reinforcements after discovering Rodrigo Bentancur’s hamstring injury would require surgery and rule him out for three months but the need for a psychological boost, the need for a fresh signing, someone first-team-ready and able to convince supporters the club was not letting this season simply slide away.
Gallagher will be a positive influence. He comes with valuable experience from two elite clubs, where the winning culture in engrained and comes with a reputation as a dependable character with the courage to lead.
He captained Chelsea and no player of his age or younger has made more than his 187 appearances across Europe’s top five leagues since 2020-21, according to Opta.
So, beyond the convenience, this is a smart acquisition at a timely moment for Frank and the board who are reluctant to start another search for another new head coach.
Gallagher’s committed style should resonate with fans. He proved hugely popular during his early loan spells, particularly his year at Crystal Palace, just as he was the darling of fans at Stamford Bridge before his move to Atletico Madrid. They will soon forgive him the Chelsea past if he is successful in a Spurs shirt.
Conor Gallagher is a dependable signing for Tottenham but will not bring much flair
He will give Thomas Frank some much-needed dynamism in midfield and is experienced at 25
For all his experience, at 25, he arrives at a good age, ready to contribute now. Spurs have signed too many with promise for the future in recent transfer windows. Another is on the way with Souza, from Brazil, expected in London on Wednesday to complete a move from Santos.
Souza is 19 and if he makes an instant impact in the Premier League, it will be an unexpected bonus. Gallagher is different. He is for the here and now.
Tactically, it is easy to see him drop into Frank’s system deep in central midfield be it alongside Joao Palhinha, Archie Gray or Pape Matar Sarr when he returns from international duty with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Yves Bissouma returned this week from AFCON, fit again after playing for Mali. Bissouma is out of contract at the end of the season and available this month.
The one-year option to extend his deal will be triggered if he does not leave to protect his value in the summer but there is no future for him at Spurs, and it would be a surprise to see Frank offer any reprieve after his disciplinary problems.
Gallagher can provide another source of goals. He attacks the box with purpose, threatens the goal, and his 18 goals in 136 Premier League appearances have come at an average of one every 7.5 appearances, a better strike rate than Bentancur who averages one every 13.8 games or Sarr (every 16.5 games) or Joao Palhinha (every 9.6 games).
Gray, now considered primarily a central midfielder by Frank, scored his first Spurs goal at Palace in December on his 36th Premier League appearance but most of the 28 made last season were in the back four.
Concerns do linger with Gallagher, though. First, he is not going to solve the N17 craving for the aesthetics. He is not going to play with poise. He will not spray the ball about from central midfield like Glenn Hoddle nor pick it up and shimmy his way past half a dozen opponents like Paul Gascoigne.
He has been deemed surplus to requirements at Chelsea and Atletico Madrid, so you wonder where his ceiling lies
His style is quite similar to Joao Palhinha, raising questions over the loanee’s future
He is going to graft, win the ball, move it forward and might score or help score a goal.
Those fans turning against Frank might latch onto it as another win for industry over creativity, but the Premier League is following this trend towards power and physical presence.
He is closer in style to Palhinha than Bentancur, which has repercussions on the option clause to convert Palhinha’s loan from Bayern Munich into a permanent deal for £27m at the end of the season.
Gallagher, arriving for £35million, is five years younger than Palhinha, 30. Bentancur, Sarr and Gray are all tied down on long term contracts. Decisions await in the summer.
Frank came to trust Bentancur in his deep midfield role because he was more comfortable on the ball and therefore safer.
Bentancur will accept the ball in tight spaces, protect it and move it on when required, which is vital when trying to play out from deep against a team pressing high. Gray’s mistake at Nottingham Forest illustrates the risks.
Ange Postecoglou preferred Bissouma as his deepest midfielder because he could turn instantly on the ball, beat the first man and if successful would propel the team forwards, and understood there were times when he would lose possession playing this way.
Frank’s style is more secure. The most common criticism of Bentancur is that he is prone to sideways or backwards passes and does not move the ball forwards quickly enough at times or dominate the midfield area.
The main boost is that Gallagher should improve them almost immediately
So, while Frank will appreciate Gallagher’s energy, aggression and thrust through the centre of the team, he does not solve the desperate shortage of guile and imagination. His arrival might help Spurs operate at a quicker tempo, which is important in the short term, but probably will not add creative flair nor refine their football.
He has been deemed surplus to requirements by two Champions League clubs, commanding only 23 La Liga starts in 18 months with Atletico, which suggests the very top might be beyond his reach as a first team regular, but Spurs are very far from the very top.
Gallagher will improve them. And he should improve them now. That is the most important part.
