Tottenham Hotspur have quietly climbed back into form after a testing period in the Premier League, with a multitude of absences derailing a fantastic start to the campaign.

Ange Postecoglou will not be content with the recent purple patch, however, with the Australian attentive to the fact that, with so many rivals pursuing a spot in the top four, the squad must be firing across all cylinders.

But this has been rather tricky given the Lilywhites' deluge of injuries to key members over the past few months, with the situation exacerbated by the imminent departures of captain Heung-min Son (Asia Cup) and midfielders Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr (African Cup of Nations) – all could miss over a month of club action.

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Nonetheless, Tottenham are just a single point behind fourth-placed rivals Arsenal after 20 matches and will be brimming with confidence after winning four of their past five matches, but the January transfer window must be used to strengthen.

With this in mind, rumours suggesting Spurs' interest in Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher may well hold some credibility…

Spurs transfer news – Conor Gallagher

According to reports from 90min at the end of 2023, Gallagher is one of Tottenham's main targets this month, with Postecoglou reportedly handing chairman Daniel Levy a shopping list requesting a midfielder, among other positions.

The reputable Fabrizio Romano has stressed recently that there are no active discussions between the London outfits at this stage, though this could change as the window rages on.

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And with Chelsea looking to collect £50m for their youth graduate's signature, facilitating lucrative spending on a centre-forward, Spurs could have a rare opportunity to sign one of their rivals' best players.

Conor Gallagher's season in numbers

Spurs actually attempted to sign Gallagher in the summer, offering £40m on deadline day, but saw the advance rebuffed as the Blues held out for more.

While Chelsea's stance on the England international's possible sale has been met with incredulity within many of the supporter circles in west London, Mauricio Pochettino loves the player and will fight to see him remain at Stamford Bridge.

But with Gallagher out of contract in 2025 and investment needed, Spurs could now capitalise to bolster their squad with a dynamic new centre-midfielder.

Rising to prominence with Chelsea last season after a successful loan spell with Crystal Palace in 2021/22, the 23-year-old played 43 times across all competitions but was unable to prevent the landslide in form that sank the club to an abject 12th-placed Premier League finish.

This year, however, having captained his squad on 11 occasions in the league, Gallagher has been immense in the Premier League, supplying four assists from 19 appearances, completing 91% of his passes, averaging 1.3 key passes, 1.4 interceptions, 2.7 tackles and 6.8 ball recoveries per match while succeeding with 77% of his 1.1 dribbles per match, as per Sofascore.

Pronounced to be a "pressing and transition monster" by one analyst, his functionality and fluidity in the engine room allow him to prosper across the various roles, with this dynamism reflected through his statistics above, showcasing skill in energy, command, control and creativity.

Spurs have an impressive contingency of stars in the engine room but are seeking to offload Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who is attracting attention from Serie A, with Giovani Lo Celso also out of contract in 18 months, with both player and club 'considering' his exit according to reports.

Conor Gallagher's style of play

What this means, when partnered with the knowledge that Postecoglou wants a midfielder, is that a formal approach for Gallagher really could crystallise over the coming weeks.

And given the dynamic and intricate nature of his skill set, Gallagher could prove to be the perfect player to complete the rebuild. ranking among the top 20% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries, the top 19% for successful take-ons, the top 11% for touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 18% for tackles and the top 1% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.

The £50k-per-week's rare blend of qualities could even allow him to serve as a sort of hybrid of James Maddison and Bissouma, enhancing the team and providing a conduit of sorts in the centre of the park, threading the thirds together.

1

Rodrigo Bentancur

Tottenham Hotspur

2

Boubacar Kamara

Aston Villa

3

Lucas Paqueta

West Ham United

4

Sandro Tonali

Newcastle United

5

Tomas Soucek

West Ham United

6

Joao Palhinha

Fulham

7

Cheick Doucoure

Crystal Palace

8

Scott McTominay

Manchester United

9

John McGinn

Aston Villa

10

Kalvin Phillips

Manchester City

*Sourced via Football Transfers

As the table shows, the 11-cap England international is comparable to a range of midfielders, with Lucas Paqueta of West Ham United and tough-tackling Joao Palhinha diametrically opposed stylistically.

But through this data, it can be deduced that Gallagher could emulate traits from both Maddison and Bissouma, with the former signing from Leicester City in the summer and winning the Premier League's Player of the Month award for August after dazzling with his inventive displays.

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Creating 2.9 key passes per game, the 26-year-old's creativity could be replicated somewhat if Gallagher was brought to the fold, with his four assists in the league this season the joint-highest of any Chelsea player in the league.

Similarly, his pass completion (91%) and defensive stats mirror Bissouma's, who has had his disciplinary issues this season but has been hailed for his "immense" displays by journalist Jordan Elgott nonetheless.

The £55k-per-week Spurs titan ranks among the top 1% of midfielders for pass completion, the top 4% for passes attempted, the top 7% for successful take-ons and the top 3% for tackles per 90, and while he's labelled more restrictively as a defensive midfielder than Gallagher, the Blues star can protect the backline with the same ferociousness.

Gallagher is a Premier League-proven player and would provide versatility in his craft to succeed under Postecoglou, and with the club getting three for the price of one with a successful move, efforts must be made to secure his signature swiftly.