Tottenham Hotspur reportedly tried to hijack Aston Villa in the race to sign Atletico Madrid star Conor Gallagher, but they appear to have failed.

Gallagherhas been heavily linked with a potential return to the Premier League months as he has fallen in the pecking order at Atletico Madrid this season.

The 23-year-old has been mentioned as an option for Man Utd, but Spursor Aston Villa currently look to be more likely destinations for the England international.

The former Chelsea star is having an uphill fight to earn a spot in the England squad for this summer’s World Cup, with a move possibly needed if he’s to have any hope of being picked by Thomas Tuchel.

A new report from Football Londonclaims Villa’s ‘offer’ for Gallagher has been ‘on the table for a week’ as they are in ‘talks over a permanent deal’, but Spurs are ‘desperate for reinforcements’ and ‘want to sign’ him.

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The north London side are said to have ‘stepped up their interest’ in landing Gallagher this month, but this deal hinges on fending off Villa and meeting Atletico Madrid’s terms.

The report adds: ‘It’s understood that Atletico Madrid will only entertain talks for a permanent deal and are not willing to allow Gallagher to leave on loan this month with a view or obligation to buy in the summer.

‘Villa’s offer to bring Gallagher back to the Premier League has been on the table for a week, with Spurs believed to have opened informal talks over the weekend.’

However, Romano has subsequently reported that Gallagher is ‘on the verge’ of a move to Villa.

He said on X: ‘Aston Villa are on the verge of club to club agreement for Conor Gallagher.

‘Negotiations are at final stages with Atlético Madrid, loan with buy option clause to eventually becoming mandatory.

‘Talks to continue on player side now. @MatteMoretto.’

Regarding potential exits, it has been suggested that Mathys Tel could move elsewhere this month as he has only been a bit-part player for Spurs this season and has struggled to live up to expectations following his move from Bayern Munich.

Romano has revealed that he would “consider an exit”, while Spurs have a “clear message” on letting him leave.

“Talking about players, let me start with Mathys Tel, because he is an important talent,” Romano explained on his YouTube channel.

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“He joined Tottenham Hotspur almost one year ago, in January 2025, and now the key point is his future. Mathys Tel has one big dream, to go to the World Cup with the France national team.

“He wants to play regularly and feel important. The message arriving from the player’s side to Tottenham is very clear. If he is not playing, he is prepared to go.

“At this stage, Tottenham’s intention is still to keep the player and to make Mathys Tel one of the important players in the second half of the season. But from the player’s side, he will follow the situation very closely in the next days and weeks.

“If he doesn’t play and doesn’t feel important with regular game time, Mathys Tel could consider an exit from Tottenham in the January transfer window on loan.

“There are several clubs interested in different countries, not only in England. Also in Germany, where he already played at Bayern Munich, and also in France. For example Paris FC, not Paris Saint-Germain, are very ambitious and would love to sign Mathys Tel on loan.

“But at this stage Tottenham are not giving a green light. The message from the club is still clear. They want to keep the player.”