Fabrizio Romano reveals Tottenham will need ‘very, very big package’ to complete perfect January for Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou has his eyes on bringing Conor Gallagher to Tottenham
Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has told Tottenham they will need to present a ‘very, very big package’ to complete Ange Postecoglou’s third signing of the January transfer window.
The Spurs boss was always keen on landing a trio of new additions in the winter window and has so far completed two-thirds of that plan as he looks to secure a top-four finish in his first season in charge in north London.
Germany forward Timo Werner has been signed on loan from Leipzig with an option to buy, while Romania international centre-back Radu Dragusin arrived in a £25.9million switch from Genoa on January 12.
Both players are poised to make their debuts for the club in Sunday’s Premier League trip to Manchester United.
But Postecoglou is not done there and would love to add a midfielder to his ranks before the window shuts on February 1.
Chief among his targets is Chelsea skipper Conor Gallagher, who remains an unlikely option for a switch across London due to his contract situation with the Blues.
Tottenham have been admirers of Gallagher for a number of months, initially making a play for the England man towards the end of the 2023 summer transfer window.
According to Sky Sports, Spurs actually had a deal in place to enable the 23-year-old to switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last year but could not acquire his signature after Chelsea’s reluctance to sell.
Gallagher, meanwhile, has continued to excel under former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge and was made captain due to Reece James’ ongoing injury issues.
However, Gallagher’s contract situation in west London has complicated matters over whether a permanent stay could still be on the cards.
The dynamic midfielder, who has scored 19 goals in 193 career games, has just 18 months remaining on his current deal, and a lack of fresh terms could force Chelsea into a sale in the coming weeks to avoid his value dropping considerably over the next two windows.
The Daily Mirror reports that Gallagher is set to remain at Chelsea in January despite interest from Tottenham, who are unlikely to pay the £60m valuation the Blues have on the player – even though they would likely listen to offers in excess of £50m.
And Romano has told GiveMeSport that he is unaware of any direct negotiations between the two London clubs over the potential signing of the midfielder. Therefore, Tottenham may have to bide their time in their interest in Gallagher and could potentially consider a summer swoop instead.
Romano not confident on Tottenham move for Gallagher
Romano also suggests that the only way for Tottenham to sign Gallagher is to bid more than the reported €30m (£26m) and €40m (£34m) offers that are currently being rumoured.
He said: “At the moment, the situation is very quiet. Gallagher is an important player for Pochettino. So, I think the only way [for Tottenham to sign him] is to put a significant amount of money on the table, not €30m or €40m, as we’ve seen from the rumours in recent weeks.
“It has to be a very, very big package. At the moment, we are not at that level of negotiation. The situation is still quiet. The appreciation is still there, but the situation is still quiet.”
Day 83 – Random Palace Goal – Conor Gallagher Vs Everton | 21/22 pic.twitter.com/Y7aOpsHlLw
— 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 🦅 (@CPFC_GEO) January 4, 2024
Even though a move for Gallagher is looking increasingly unlikely in January, The Independent reports that Postecoglou wants a new player on board for his engine room during Tottenham’s mini winter break, which takes place between January 15-26.
Spurs are currently without first-choice central midfield pairing Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr, who are away at the African Cup of Nations. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is also expected to move on, if the right offer comes in, as the Dane continues to struggle adapting to Postecoglou’s fast-paced style.
That sort of game would certainly suit Gallagher, however, whose energetic qualities and ability to play box-to-box is why Postecoglou has targeted him in the first place.
It just remains to be seen if Tottenham are willing to make a significant offer that would make Chelsea even consider selling one of their prized assets.
