Ange plotting Spurs swoop for £50m “monster”, imagine him and Bissouma – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to raid rivals Chelsea for the signing of England midfielder, Conor Gallagher, with Ange Postecoglou’s side having seemingly stepped up their interest in the 23-year-old.

What’s the latest on Gallagher to Tottenham?

According to journalist Jacob Steinberg – writing for The Guardian – the Lilywhites are said to have held talks are regarding a potential summer move for the former Crystal Palace loanee, with West Ham United also showing an interest in the player following the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal.

The report suggests that despite the Blues currently being rather short on options in the centre of the park – with the likes N’Golo Kane, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Jorginho having all moved on this year – there said to be ‘doubts’ over Gallagher’s future at Stamford Bridge, with an exit still a very real possibility.

If Spurs are to land the seven-cap international ahead of the September deadline, The Telegraph having recently reported that it could require a bid of around £50m in order to tempt Mauricio Pochettino’s side into a sale.

Should Tottenham sign Gallagher this summer?

While new boss Postecoglou appears intent on strengthening the backline this summer – amid the club’s reported pursuit of both Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven – it also looks as if the 57-year-old is keen to oversee something of a midfield overhaul before the start of next term.

Having already brought in James Maddison from Leicester City on a £40m deal, the former Celtic coach is looking to make significant changes in the centre of the park, with speculation rife that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – who started 35 Premier League games last term – is set to be on his way.

One man who could be a major beneficiary of Postecoglou’s appointment is last year’s summer signing, Yves Bissouma, with The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare writing last month that the former Brighton and Hove Albion man could emulate the role that Callum McGregor played at Parkhead under the Greek-Aussie, being deployed at the base of the midfield as a ‘No 6 who can drop deep, collect the ball from the centre-backs and spray ambitious passes to the full-backs and wingers’.

The Mali international did endure a rather underwhelming, injury-hit first season at N17 – having started just ten league games in 2022/23 – although the 26-year-old could be the man to replace Hojbjerg in that deep-lying berth.

To then partner Bissouma with Gallagher could prove to be a perfect partnership, with the Englishman able to provide a more “box-to-box” option just ahead of the one-time Lille ace, as described by writer Zach Lowy.

Previously lauded as something of a “monster” during his stint at Selhurst Park, in the words of writer Tom Dutton, the 6 foot workhorse is the type of player who will attempt to get forward at any given opportunity, showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 3% among his European peers for touches in the attacking penalty area.

While that attacking intent can lead Gallagher to be prone to squandering possession – as he ranks in just the bottom 46% for pass completion – Bissouma can then offer a more calm and composed option behind him, as the latter man ranks in the top 3% for that same metric.

As a player who also ranks in the top 12% for attempted passes, the current Spurs ace could be the man to pick out Gallagher ahead of him, with the Blues maestro ranking in the top 4% for progressive passes received.

With Maddison – who created 12 big chances in the league last term – acting as the creative outlet ahead of that pairing, Postecoglou could have an exciting, new-look midfield trio on his hands for 2023/24