Spurs sign England midfielder Gallagher from Atletico Madrid

Tottenham signed England midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid in a deal worth a reported £34.7 million ($46.6 million) on Wednesday.

Gallagher agreed a long-term contract with the Premier League club that reportedly runs until 2031.

Tottenham won the race to sign Gallagher after Aston Villa also expressed interest in the former Chelsea player.

The 25-year-old was keen to leave Atletico for more regular action in a bid to secure a place in England's squad for the World Cup later this year.

"I'm so happy and excited to be here, taking the next step in my career at an amazing club," Gallagher said.

"I wanted to be a Spurs player and thankfully the club felt the same. It was very easy, it happened very quickly and I'm ready to get on the pitch.

"I know how great the fans are, I'm really happy to be a part of it here and want to create special moments and memories together."

Gallagher's signing is a boost to under-fire Tottenham boss Thomas Frank.

Frank is fighting to save his job after a dismal run of five victories in 20 matches, including seven defeats in 13 after last weekend's FA Cup third round exit against Aston Villa.

Only seven months after arriving from Brentford to replace the sacked Ange Postecoglou, pressure has mounted on Frank, who has been booed on multiple occasions by frustrated fans.

Gallagher's signing will fill a void in Tottenham's midfield after Rodrigo Bentancur had surgery on a hamstring injury on Tuesday, while Lucas Bergvall is also sidelined and Pape Sarr is at the Africa Cup of Nations.

"Conor is a top midfielder, who we have worked tirelessly to add to our squad," Frank said.

"He is still young, so has plenty of room for improvement, but also has huge experience across the Premier League, La Liga and with the England national team.

"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.

"I'm excited about working with him every day and I know the fans will love what he will bring to the team."

Gallagher, who scored 10 goals in 95 appearances for Chelsea, was linked to Tottenham before joining Atletico in 2024.

While he played 77 times during his 18 months in Spain, Gallagher never fully secured a regular starting berth under Atletico boss Diego Simeone.