Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to raid rivals Chelsea for the signing of England international, Conor Gallagher, as manager Ange Postecoglou seeks to move on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer.
What are the latest Tottenham transfer rumours?
According to journalist Mike McGrath, the Lilywhites are keeping tabs on the 23-year-old as a possible successor to the departing Dane, with the transfer insider writing on Twitter: "Tottenham transfer news: Spurs eye Chelsea's Conor Gallagher as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg replacement."
In his attached piece for The Telegraph, McGrath goes on to add that the north Londoners have the former Crystal Palace loanee 'in their sights', with the likes of Atletico Madrid and clubs in Germany said to be showing an interest in Hojbjerg.
As the report also notes, however, it is not yet clear if the Blues would sanction the sale of the midfielder as he is said to be admired by new boss Mauricio Pochettino, with a £50m asking price having been suggested if Spurs are to have any hope of striking a deal.
How good is Conor Gallagher?
The Epsom-born ace is currently coming off the back of a disappointing season at Stamford Bridge as he started just 18 Premier League games as his current side finished in mid-table, chipping in with three goals and one assist in that time.
Despite those woes, however, the 6 foot menace had previously caught the eye during his temporary stint at Selhurst Park during the 2021/22 campaign, as he scored eight times and contributed three assists in the top-flight, having emerged as something of a "monster" for the Eagles – according to writer Tom Dutton.
That "extraordinary" progress with Palace – as lauded by ex-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel – saw Gallagher return to his parent club last summer with the hope of nailing down a regular role in the first-team, albeit with consistency having been hard to come by amid the managerial turmoil in west London.
A fresh start at N17 could be just what the seven-cap sensation is in need of in order to get back to his best, with such a deal also likely to prove a perfect signing for one of Postecoglou's current midfield options, Tanguy Ndombele.
The latter man is currently looking to start afresh with Spurs after spending the last 18 months out on loan at Lyon and Napoli, respectively, with the 2019 signing having been part of the club's pre-season plans so far.
It is far to say that it is has not worked out in English football for the Frenchman to date – as those loan moves would appear to indicate – although the arrival of the attack-minded Postecoglou could allow the playmaker to finally flourish.
One concern has always been over the £200k-per-week man's work ethic – having been branded a "disgrace" due to his lack of effort by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher in the past – yet the addition of Gallagher could well help to make up for Ndombele's defensive shortcomings.
A player with a truly remarkable engine, the Chelsea man is the type of figure who "can get into the 18-yard box and ten seconds later he can make a tackle in his own 18-yard box", according to talkSPORT's Tony Cascarino, ensuring he could cover plenty of ground alongside the more mercurial Ndombele.
The Englishman's ball-winning brilliance was also evident during his stint at Palace as he averaged two tackles per game from his 34 league outings, with that indicating that he can win back possession to then feed the likes of Ndombele and James Maddison in those more creative, midfield berths.
As such, if the relentless ace is to be snapped up by Postecoglou this summer, it could give Tottenham's returning midfield maverick the ability to truly express himself in the centre of the park, without leaving the team exposed defensively.
That would no doubt be a dream scenario, indeed…