Joy as Spurs ready to land Son ‘dream’ partner – announcement imminent
After an eventful Premier League season that saw them just fall out of the Champions League places and into the Europa League, Tottenham Hotspur look set for a busy summer.
Ange Postecoglou has had a year to figure out who he wants to keep in his team and the players he’d like to add.
Based on recent reports, he’s a big fan of a player touted to be the club’s first permanent edition of the window, a player who could work brilliantly with Son Heung-min.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from The Athletic, Tottenham have maintained their interest in Chelsea’s star midfielder, Conor Gallagher.
The report claims that club officials and Postecoglou are big fans of the England international, and while the player would rather remain at Stamford Bridge, the Blues are prepared to listen to offers for their academy star.
The Athletic does not mention how much a potential deal could cost the Lilywhites, but journalist Ben Jacobs has reported that £50m should be enough to secure the player’s signature.
It would be an expensive move for Daniel Levy and Co to sign off, but with his performances this season, it would probably be worth it, especially as he could end up working brilliantly with Son.
Why Gallagher would work brilliantly with Son
There are several reasons why the boyhood Chelsea fan would be a brilliant teammate for the Lilywhites captain, but one of the most important is workrate.
England manager Gareth Southgate described the Cobham graduate as having “tremendous drive” and a pressing ability “as good as anyone in the league” earlier this season, which is immediately evident to anyone who watches the Cobham graduate.
Likewise, in his column for the BBC, pundit Michael Brown described the 24-year-old as someone with an ‘unbelievable attitude’ who ‘covers an incredible amount of ground’, which could be an incredibly useful attribute when playing alongside the soon-to-be 32 Son.
The South Korean is still an incredible footballer, as evidenced by his haul of 27 goals and assists this season, but as players get older, their ability to constantly sprint up and down the pitch will naturally diminish, and the former Bayer Leverkusen man is no different.
He might be able to continue as normal in the next season or two, but eventually, it will make more sense to allow the 122-capped international to stay forward and use a more active midfield to make up for his lost defensive output, which is precisely where the Chelsea man comes into play.
| Gallagher vs Spurs’ midfield | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Gallagher | Maddison | Lo Celso | Bentancur |
| Appearances | 50 | 30 | 24 | 25 |
| Goals | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Assists | 9 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| Goal Involvements per Match | 0.32 | 0.43 | 0.16 | 0.08 |
| All Stats via Transfermarkt | ||||
That said, while the Epsom-born “warrior”, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is willing to put in the hard yards for his team, he’s not just an athlete. In 50 games this season, he scored seven goals and provided nine assists, more than James Maddison managed and more than Giovani Lo Celso and Rodrigo Bentancur returned combined.
Ultimately, while it might not be the most exciting transfer on the surface, adding the incredibly hardworking Gallagher to Postecoglou’s high-intensity system could help supercharge the Lilywhites and allow Son to play to his strengths: scoring goals.