Could £5.5m Gallagher offer goals + DefCon?

Wednesday’s arrest Conor Gallagher (£5.5m) is Tottenham Hotspur’s first foray into the January transfer window.

Following the midfielder’s £35m arrival from Atletico Madrid, we explore his appeal in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) below.

FPL HISTORY

Gallagher began his senior career with loan spells in the Championship at Charlton Athletic and Swansea City, before playing full seasons for West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace in the top flight.

From a Fantasy perspective, his breakthrough will certainly come at Palace in the 2021/22 season.

Thriving in a box-to-box role under Patrick Vieira, Gallagher had produced eight goals and six assists by season’s end, with 140 points, ultimately earning him a spot on our Fantasy Football Scout Team of the Season longlist.

The following season, Gallagher returned to Chelsea and went from strength to strength playing for his childhood club.

Indeed, he started 37 Premier League games in 2023/24, contributing directly to 13 goals, with 129 points.

ATLETICO MADRID

Gallagher left for Spain to join Atletico Madrid in August 2024, and made 51 La Liga appearances for the Spanish giants.

He scored five goals and provided three assists, but with just four league starts this season, he is desperate to return to England.

IN QUOTES

“Conor, I think, has a lot of good attacking ability. You know, his ability to get into the box and score goals, his finishing. I think he’s a clever finisher. Apart from that, I think his skills in the final third are good in terms of getting into the right positions. I told him about the project and the plans with him and the club and what we’re aiming for and all that suits him very well and also I think he suits us and I think we suit him.” – Thomas Frank on Conor Gallagher

“I think what he brings in terms of ability, first and foremost, he is a very good player, great experience in the Premier League, also in La Liga, captaining several teams. So that character, his leadership, his experience, and being young, 25 years old, with a lot of development to achieve, but at a good level, brings his pressing ability, directness, goalscoring, but also being able to find good positions on the pitch, is what we need.” – Thomas Frank on Conor Gallagher

“I like to see myself as an all-rounder, you could say. I try to be as effective as possible on the pitch with what I’m good at. I try to run as hard as I can. I try to make as many tackles as I can. I try to win as many duels as I can, make up the penalty box, try to score goals, try and provide assists. Basically, all the basics. I try as hard as I can to be good at everything and whatever the manager wants me to do, whatever the role or position or I will be willing to do my best wherever I am. Hopefully, I can show the fans what I can do. I think in the last year at Chelsea I can grow into a leader, which is very good for me. It helps me grow not only as a person but also as a footballer

POTENTIAL PLAY STATUS/DEFCON

In his latest campaign in the Premier League (2023/24), Gallagher has developed into one of the most important players in the Chelsea squad.

He was used in attacking midfield, deeper midfield, and on the left wing, scoring five goals and eight assists.

Statistically, Gallagher ranks third among all Chelsea players in terms of shots (48, one every 65.1 minutes) and second in terms of chances created (54, one every 59 minutes).

Above: Conor Gallagher’s shot map (left) and chances created map (right) in 2023/24

But Gallagher also has other ways to earn points this season.

A versatile and energetic midfielder, he has hypothetically reached the defensive contribution threshold (DefCon) in 17 games in the 2023/24 season, with a success rate of 45.9%:

For context, it is comparable to James Garner (£5.1m) in the current campaign (DefCon success rate 47.6%).

WHERE DOES GALLAGHER FIT AT SPURS?

It seems likely that Gallagher could fulfill a variety of roles in Thomas Frank’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system, but these two options seem the most likely:

• Partner Joao Palhinha (£5.5m) in midfield
• Plays a little further forward in a sort of hybrid No 8/10 role

With Rodrigo Bentancur (£5.3m) sidelined for most of the season with a hamstring injury, you might imagine Gallagher would play in central midfield, at least initially.

However, there is a possibility he could be used further forward, especially considering Frank’s quote about his “ability to get into the box and score goals”.

Above: Tottenham Hotspur’s potential starting XI in Gameweek 22

THOUGHT

The jury is still out on Spurs but Gallagher’s £5.5m price tag could provide value.

Therefore, he is worth keeping an eye on, and there is a chance he will be a decent option as a low-cost fifth midfielder later this season, especially if he can play some set-pieces.

Even if he is deployed in midfield, with Palhinha a more natural defensive player, it would allow Gallagher to progress to maximize his ability as a box-breaking number 8.

His ability to manage DefCon could also be an important factor. Not only does Gallagher have previous experience in this area but Bentancur, who effectively replaces Gallagher, is among the top five midfielders (minimum 1,000 minutes) for defensive contributions per 90 minutes:

Gallagher’s limited playing time recently is a downside, and it’s also worth noting that there have been some poor games from Gameweek 24 onwards:

Compare that to the run-in, when Spurs were top of the table:

So, the next nine Game Weeks could be a fun little audition period for the final quarter of the season. Spurs could be out of Europe by then (they are already out of both domestic cups), leaving the league as the sole focus and minimizing the risk of rotation.