Conor Gallagher in line for awkward meeting with Tottenham star after heated moment
Conor Gallagher has completed a £35m move to Tottenham from Atletico Madrid, where he would reunite with an old foe.
Conor Gallagher and Yves Bissouma are poised for an uneasy reunion at Tottenham following a heated altercation between the duo. Spurs have completed a deal to sign the former Chelsea ace from Atletico Madrid for a fee in the region of £35million.
The arrival of Gallagher will provide a significant lift for Tottenham and their beleaguered head coach Thomas Frank, particularly with midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur due to undergo hamstring surgery. However, Gallagher may need to mend fences with new team-mate Bissouma, following a clash during his time at Chelsea. After Chelsea's 4-1 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November 2023, a match which saw Spurs reduced to nine men following the dismissals of Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie, Gallagher and Bissouma had to be separated.
At the final whistle, Gallagher seemed to reach out to shake Bissouma's hand, but the gesture appeared to be ignored. Despite this, Gallagher extended his hand towards Bissouma's arm, a move that the Mali international did not appreciate, leading to a face-off between the pair.
Marc Cucurella and Oliver Skipp were quick to intervene and separate the duo before Levi Colwill escorted Gallagher away. It's likely that Gallagher and Bissouma will look back on the incident with amusement, if it is even mentioned at all.
Gallagher will be keen to reignite his career following a mixed stint in Spain. The ex-Crystal Palace loanee has clocked up 77 appearances and netted seven goals for Atletico over the past year and a half, but he has struggled to secure a regular starting spot in Diego Simeone's side.
Spurs had already been on the hunt for fresh talent this month, even before several key players were sidelined with serious injuries. They've acted swiftly to pursue Gallagher, who has been on their watchlist for some time now.
Conor Gallagher not happy with Yves Bissouma after he refused to shake his hand after the game ?????? pic.twitter.com/wwGFhvSRdL
— CFC-Blues (@CFCBlues_com) November 7, 2023
After missing out on securing Gallagher in the summer of 2024, Spurs now appear poised to snatch the 25-year-old from under Aston Villa's nose. The addition of Gallagher will help cushion the blow of losing Bentancur, who was forced to withdraw during the latter stages of the 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth. Following surgery, Bentancur is expected to be out of action for at least three months.
With both Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall absent for Saturday's FA Cup defeat against Villa, Frank found himself without a recognised midfielder on the bench, as Pape Sarr and Bissouma were unavailable due to their Africa Cup of Nations duties.
However, if Spurs can finalise the signing of Gallagher, it will provide a much-needed boost amidst plans by fan group Change for Tottenham to stage a protest ahead of West Ham's visit on Saturday.
