Tottenham have completed their first signing of the January transfer window, with Atlético Madrid's Conor Gallagher joining in a reported £34m deal.
The club previously boasted an interest in the Englishman throughout Ange Postecoglou's reign, but have instead landed the midfielder following a rather uninspiring 18 months in the Spanish capital.
Rodrigo Bentancur's significant hamstring injury seemingly forced the club into swift action, with Aston Villa lining up a move for the former Chelsea star. Spurs presented a more lucrative financial package to Atléti to sneak them up the pecking order, while Frank is said to have played a leading role in ensuring Gallagher opted for a return to London.
Midfield, as it was during Postecoglou's second season, is a distinct problem area for the Lilywhites. Erroneous squad planning has left Frank without a deep-lying passer, and while Gallagher will not help fill that void, the 22-cap England international is undoubtedly capable of improving this Tottenham team.
Thomas Frank has blueprint to follow to maximise Conor Gallagher
Gallagher is the sort of midfielder Frank adores. High-energy and effort, the 25-year-old wears his heart on his sleeve and has already scored a few brownie points among supporters by saying he's "here to give everything" during his official unveiling. P****** the Chelsea fanbase off works in Gallagher's favour, too.
The Englishman cannot be expected to directly mitigate Bentancur's absence, and we can only hope the club is planning on adding a passer to Frank's athlete-laden engine room. While Gallagher impressed in a deeper-lying function during his final season at Chelsea, where he often donned the armband for Mauricio Pochettino's side, his very best work in the Premier League arrived as an advanced midfielder/second striker at Crystal Palace.
For me, he's an excellent fit for what Frank seems to want from his No. 10, and the Dane certainly seems excited about working with Spurs' newest face. “Conor is a top midfielder, who we have worked tirelessly to add to our squad," he told the club's official website.
“Conor has captained teams so will bring leadership, maturity, character and personality to our dressing room, while his running power, pressing ability and eye for goal will strengthen us in a key area of the pitch."
The noting of such attributes points towards Gallagher being used higher up the pitch, potentially reprising the role he performed for Patrick Vieira at Selhurst Park. That's how Frank will get the best out of the 25-year-old.
Gallagher isn't a profile Spurs are crying out for, but there's much to like about what he will bring to Frank's side. There's scope for the 25-year-old to be a major hit in north London.