Tottenham Hotspur have made one of the biggest splashes of the January 2026 transfer window thus far, sliding in at the last second to steal away former Chelsea and Crystal Palace man Conor Gallagher from under the noses of Aston Villa, paying a whopping 40 million euros to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in order to make the move happen.
Gallagher was a strong player in the Premier League for the Eagles and was decent enough for the Blues, and there are quite a few Spurs supporters who are rosy optimistic about this signing. They feel that Gallagher brings experience, leadership, work rate, and a bulldog mentality to the No. 8 position that Spurs need, and his veteran presence will help players like Archie Gray going forward.
The thing is, Atletico Madrid fans have seen Gallagher up close and personal in the 2025/26 season, and they will have a much less rosy view of what Gallagher brings to the table than even the Chelsea fans before them.
Atletico Madrid saw Conor Gallagher's fatal flaw
Gallagher has only started four games in La Liga for the Rojiblancos this season, and given Atleti do not exactly have a world class midfield, that is concerning. The new addition to the Spanish capital last season has been a bench player and a non factor since his arrival in Madrid, accruing less than 700 league minutes so far this season as Atleti had almost fully phased him out before loudly shopping him in the transfer market.
In terms of percentiles, Conor Gallagher actually rates pretty well despite his limited minutes with a 93rd percentile ranking in non penalty goals, an 84th rating in progressive carries, and a spot in the 74th and 96th percentiles in tackles and interceptions, respectively.
But look at where he is in terms of his creative output. Gallagher, once touted as a No. 10 in the Premier League, is in the lowly 40th percentile in shot creating actions and in the 31st percentile in terms of progressive carries among all midfielders, including defensive midfielders and players who are not at top clubs like Tottenham Hotspur or Atletico Madrid.
Those are pretty untenable numbers at the elite level, because big clubs like Spurs and Atleti require all their non defensive midfield, Joao Palhinha types to be progressive with their passing and able to create chances. (And even Palhinha has worn thin on some Spurs fans for lacking in those regards.)
Gallagher does not make Spurs materially better in their biggest areas of need, and that is something Atleti can readily attest to. Spurs will want to focus on all the positives of how Gallagher can add goals from midfield, dribble well with his athleticism, and win possession at a high level. He is surely better than Rodrigo Bentancur. But is the solution to what ails the Spurs midfield, truly? That is more doubtful.