Tottenham better act fast if they want to land Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher

When it comes to the transfer market, Tottenham and “better act first” don’t exactly mix like Yorkies and a Sunday roast, so don’t be surprised if Conor Gallagher lands elsewhere, most likely West Ham. 

While Tottenham ponders, West Ham bids.

The Hammers on Monday, desperate to strengthen its attacking midfield, submitted an official £40 million bid for Gallagher.

While that bid will probably be rejected, it’s a solid opening offer for the 23-year-old. Gallagher probably won’t cost more than £50 million, which begs the question: Will West Ham pony up and offer what is required to land the Englishman?

While an equitable bid alone doesn’t mean West Ham will secure Gallagher’s services, it certainly piles the pressure on Tottenham to take its proverbial finger out from the crevice where the sun doesn’t shine.

However, that depends on whether Tottenham has any intention of extracting its finger.

There are still more unknowns in the Tottenham camp than in deep-sea exploration. Yes, Tottenham has consistently been linked to Gallagher, with Ange reportedly a keen admirer of the midfielder’s creative nous.

But is he required in one of the positions Tottenham is the deepest?

And is Pierre Hojbjerg leaving or staying? What about Giovani Lo Celso, whose performance against the Hammers in the opening pre-season match convinced many supporters he is the perfect complement to James Maddison in the No. 8 role?

And, of course, we have the infuriating centre-back dilly-dallying that is, as we speak, decreasing the lifespan of Tottenham supporters more prone to high blood pressure.

Those unknowns make it hard to conceive of Spurs getting into a bidding war with West Ham over a player many see as a luxury and not a necessity.

It’s highly improbable Tottenham will splash out up to £50 million on a luxury player, mainly as his purchase is predicated on the proceeds of selling either Hojbjerg, Lo Celso, or both.

It would be unfortunate to see Gallagher pledge his allegiance to West Ham, not only due to Spurs’ bitter rivalry with the East London club but also because of his undeniable on-the-ball quality.

But based on the increasing list of Tottenham’s other priorities, in conjunction with its inability to extract that aforementioned index finger, that’s precisely what will probably happen.