Conor Gallagher given permission to fly to London to complete £34.7m move to Tottenham as Thomas Frank’s side gazump Premier League rivals Aston Vlla amid midfield injury crisis

Conor Gallagher has been given permission by fly to England on Tuesday morning after Tottenham agreed to meet Atletico Madrid‘s £34.7million asking price – moving to beat Aston Villa to the signing of the midfielder.

Gallagher has still to agree personal terms but talks are continuing with the 25-year-old former Chelsea midfielder open to a return to the Premier League.

His camp are keen to have the deal done before Atletico’s Cup clash at Deportivo La Coruna on Tuesday evening.  

Villa had earlier proposed a loan with obligation to buy but Spurs, who had been rebuffed in an initial loan offer, restructured their bid to suit Atletico’s demands. 

Spurs began exploring the market for a midfielder after discovering that Rodrigo Bentancur is expected to miss most of the season with a hamstring injury.

The 28-year-old’s absence leaves Spurs very short in central midfield, with Lucas Bergvall also currently injured, and there is no timeframe on his return yet.

When Spurs originally asked Atletico about the possibility of bringing in Gallagher they were told a straight loan deal is not on the table. The Spaniards are only willing to consider a permanent move – or a loan deal with a clear obligation to buy. 

Gallagher was a target for Spurs two years ago when they had a £40m bid rejected by Chelsea. He was sold to Atletico a year later for £34m and has made 77 appearances for Diego Simeone’s side, scoring seven goals.