Summary Spurs were hugely interested in signing Conor Gallagher on transfer deadline day. However, the Londoners could have signed a big £69m upgrade earlier in the window. He featured in the Champions League final last season.
Tottenham Hotspur’s start to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign has been solid, with Ange Postecoglou leading his side to two wins from three, including a wonderful victory over Manchester United.
His transfer business has also been impressive, managing to secure the signings of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario among others as the Australian looked to build a squad that could challenge the top four and secure a return to European competition.
They were also interested in a move for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher on transfer deadline day, according to reports, yet the former Celtic boss missed plenty of other chances to improve his midfield throughout the window.
What is Conor Gallagher good at?
The Englishman has been in decent form for the Blues so far this term, ranking third across the squad for overall Sofascore rating (7.4), while also ranking in the top five for accurate passes, big chances created and shots on target per game, showcasing his talents across a wide range of metrics.
It represents solid progress by the midfielder, as last term he struggled to display the form that saw him shine at Crystal Palace during the 2021/22 campaign, where he scored eight goals and grabbed five assists for the Eagles.
This dropped to just three goals and one assist last term. Perhaps a move and a fresh start away from the hustle and bustle of Chelsea could have reinvigorated the 23-year-old.
Could Postecoglou have made a more concrete effort to sign a midfielder who has shone on the continent, however? Nicolo Barella was linked with a move to the club during the embryonic stages of the transfer window in June and would arguably have been a better option, albeit an expensive one at a potential £69m.
How good is Nicolo Barella?
The Inter Milan sensation was an integral part of their success during the 2022/23 season as the Serie A side won the Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup while also reaching their first Champions League final for 13 years, losing 1-0 to Manchester City.
Barella displayed his attacking talents throughout the campaign, registering 19 goal contributions – nine goals and ten assists – across all competitions, whilst in the league, he ranked third for key passes per game (1.6) across the squad and first for successful dribbles per game (1.1), further evidence of his attacking skillset.
He could certainly have been a big upgrade on Gallagher. Indeed, the £152k-per-week gem ranked in the top 8% for non-penalty goals, the top 9% for progressive carries and the top 12% for shot-creating actions when compared to positional peers over the previous 12 months.
In comparison, Gallagher ranked outside the top 20% when compared to positional peers for the same metrics, and it proves that the Italian is more effective from an attacking point of view and this would have given Postecoglou something different in the midfield area.
Renowned scout Jacek Kulig had plenty of praise for the Inter player, lauding him as a “little warrior” back in 2019, and it looks as though Spurs have missed out big time by failing to bring the 26-year-old to the Premier League during the summer.
Gallagher may prove to be a hit for Spurs, yet the statistics state that Barella would have been the far better choice.
