Aston Villa are in formal negotiations with Atletico Madrid to bring England international Conor Gallagher back to the Premier League on a season-defining contract.
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, the Midlands club are negotiating a loan deal with a conditional buyout, worth around 30 million euros (approximately 2.5 billion yen).
Atlético Madrid remain reluctant to allow the 25-year-old to leave on a purely temporary basis, but reports say they are willing to agree to a deal if the terms of his signing are “easily achievable”.
Negotiations are progressing rapidly, with the Spanish giants seeking compensation for the player’s salary and rental fees in addition to future transfer fees.
Conor Gallagher is understood to be open to the move, having struggled to get playing time under Diego Simeone recently.
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Aston Villa move closer to signing Conor Gallagher
Manager Unai Emery has long admired Gallagher’s energetic style and sees him as the perfect engine to lead Villa’s midfield for the remainder of the season.
The proposed contract structure, a loan with a near-guaranteed buyout obligation, is designed to meet Atlético’s desire for a permanent sale while meeting Villa’s immediate financial framework.
A £25m valuation represents a significant market opportunity for a player of Gallagher’s pedigree.
Atlético have ostensibly been determined to keep the team intact, but the reality of having to balance their own bottom line with the players’ aspirations for regular football has softened that stance.
Gallagher wants to return to England to establish himself in the national team, and Villa are confident of arranging a deal quickly if they can agree on specific performance triggers for a permanent move.
Aston Villa look to sign big names in January for second consecutive season
If Gallagher’s deal goes through, Aston Villa will secure a high-profile signing in January for the second year in a row and finish the season strong.
The strategy reflects the club’s sensational winter season of 2025, when the loan deals of Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio were hugely successful and propelled the club into the Champions League places.
Villa’s hierarchy will be keen to recreate that ‘mid-season catalyst’ effect.
By targeting a proven, elite-level talent like Gallagher, a player who can immediately raise the technical and physical level of his team, Emery is showing that Villa are not only happy to be in contention for the top four, but are serious contenders for a shock title fight.
They currently sit in third place with 43 points, level with Man City in second place, and just six points behind league leaders Arsenal.
The club are once again well placed in the table and Gallagher’s arrival could provide the same impetus that Asensio and Rashford provided 12 months ago.
