Tottenham expect to complete a £35m deal for Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher after moving ahead of Aston Villa in the race for the England international’s signature.
Villa appeared to be in pole position to land Gallagher but Spurs are now closing in on the 25-year-old after expressing a willingness to meet Atletico’s valuation.
Villa wanted to sign the former Chelsea man on an initial loan deal with an option to make the move permanent.
Gallagher has not yet agreed personal terms with Spurs, but that is understood to be a formality.
The midfielder is keen to finalise the transfer before Atletico’s game against Deportivo in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday night.
Gallagher will hope a move back to the Premier League boosts his chances of breaking back into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for this summer’s World Cup.
He has only played once under the German so far, featuring for 59 minutes in the 3-1 friendly defeat by Senegal.
Spurs are looking to add to their midfield options after Rodrigo Bentancur was ruled out for at least three months.
The Uruguay international needs hamstring surgery after sustaining an injury in the Premier League defeat at Bournemouth last week.
