With 2023 drawing to a close, Tottenham Hotspur have been among the more tumultuous of Premier League clubs, though Ange Postecoglou is working feverishly to ensure that his side return to prominence on the continent.
Antonio Conte was sacked in March after a slide in form and a loss of identity. It was Tottenham's fourth managerial dismissal in as many years, and it was yet another roadblock that stifled the London club's chances of competing at the forefront of Premier League and European football.
But navigating away from the appointments of managers of glittering pedigree and welcoming Postecoglou to the head of the table – who had done a stellar job with Celtic in Scotland but was not considered the same calibre as the Conte's and Jose Mourinho's of the game – has proved to be an astute piece of business for the Lilywhites.
Despite acquiescing to Harry Kane's demands to be sold and granting his departure to Bayern Munich in August, Tottenham have proved that they can return to the Champions League, but they need more signings.
A brilliant start to the campaign was halted in November when injuries and suspensions highlighted just how thin the Spurs squad still is.
The January market is fast approaching, however, and Postecoglou and his transfer team will be sure to make good use of the opportunity to augment the ranks.
Tottenham transfer news – Conor Gallagher
According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Tottenham have received a boost in their pursuit of Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher following news that the Blues have deemed the player sellable as they seek to recuperate funds and move in line with regulations to permit lucrative spending in 2024.
The report relays murmurings that Chelsea would be willing to part with the England international for £50m, though it is probable that discussions with interested parties will start at the £40m mark.
Manchester United and West Ham United are also listed as suitors, but Spurs lodged an (unsuccessful) £40m bid for Gallagher's services on summer deadline day and could entice the 23-year-old to make a bold cross-London switch.
Conor Gallagher's style of play
It's surprising that Gallagher is among the stars to have been made expendable at Chelsea, regardless of the monetary benefits that could be gleaned from the sale of a homegrown player.
As per FBref, Gallagher ranks among the top 16% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and successful take-ons, the top 17% for tackles, the top 3% for blocks and the top 9% for touches in the attacking box per 90.
Player
Club
Rodrigo Bentancur
Tottenham Hotspur
Guido Rodriguez
Real Betis
Joao Palhinha
Fulham
Boubacar Kamara
Aston Villa
Konrad Laimer
Bayern Munich
Evidencing his penetrative presence in the midfield and willingness to push forward and make things happen for his team, Gallagher has been important for a Chelsea side that has struggled to click into gear for successive seasons now.
Across all competitions, the £50k-per-week ace has completed 65 fixtures for the Blues, scoring three goals and supplying five assists, with his energy and industriousness establishing him as one of Mauricio Pochettino's most important stars this term.
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As per Sofascore, the 11-cap international has started 16 of the Stamford Bridge side's league games this year, supplying four assists, completing 92% of his passes, averaging 1.4 key passes, 2.8 tackles and 6.6 ball recoveries per game, completing 73% of his dribbles and winning 55% of his duels.
A highly effective multi-functional midfielder, Gallagher would be a brilliant capture for a Tottenham team that needs to bolster the engine room this winter, with Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr both off to the African Cup of Nations next month.
He also boasts some striking similarities to Dele Alli, and within a free-flowing Spurs system, he could be moulded into a player of the same merit with some tactical tweaking.
Claims that Gallagher emulates such a style are corroborated by the words of The Athletic's Mike Stavrou, who took to Twitter to state: "Conor Gallagher was absolutely relentless with his pressing and energy tonight. Some player Chelsea have got."
How Conor Gallagher compares to "Poch-era" Dele Alli
Postecoglou wants fluency and offensive verve weaved into his set-up at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium and would make good use of Gallagher's abilities, with the Chelsea man called a "manager's dream" by former Eagles boss Patrick Vieira.
Vieira was Gallagher's boss during the 2021/22 season when he was loaned out to Crystal Palace to gain some important Premier League experience – it's safe to say that he surpassed expectations.
During his time at Selhurst Park, the Englishman scored eight goals, completed 81% of his passes and averaged 2.1 tackles per game, with a budding prolificness offering shades of Alli, with journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke drawing the comparison.
Vieira said: "He surprised me with his finishing, he surprised me with his energy, he surprised me with the way he gets into the box at the right time to score goals."
Alli signed for Tottenham from League One side MK Dons as a teenager in 2015, for around £5m, and went on to establish himself as one of the division's greatest-ever youngsters, scoring 37 goals and supplying 29 assists across his first three campaigns, with Mourinho claiming that he could become "one of the world's best".
An intelligent and positionally astounding player, Alli would waltz into the danger area with remarkable constancy, thriving in a high-octane system – this is something that Gallagher could emulate with the current Tottenham squad.
Gallagher has demonstrated his calibre as a goalscoring presence from the middle in the past and such a streak could be reignited with a move to Tottenham, where he could prove to be the second coming of Alli, providing Postecoglou's side with a cutting-edge from deep to take the stress from Heung-min Son's shoulders.