Manager Unai Emery was so keen for Aston Villa to sign the Tottenham star in January that the Villans have even contacted the player directly.
The Midlands club have had a solid month overall, bringing back fan favorites Tammy Abraham and Douglas Lewis to strengthen their squad, as well as bringing in exciting youngsters Brian Maggio and Alisson.
Abraham joined from Besiktas for £18 million after scoring 13 goals for Besiktas in the Turkish Super Lig, while Luiz returned on loan from Juventus after a lackluster spell at Nottingham Forest.
However, it was not all rosy as Villa failed to cope with the ongoing Harvey Elliott nightmare.
The Liverpool loanee remains in limbo after Emery brutally made it clear he had no intention of triggering his £35m buyout clause after Elliott made 10 appearances.
Harvey Elliott leaves Aston Villa on loan, allowing transfer decision
The Liverpool loanee is not wanted by manager Unai Emery.
The midfielder has now featured in seven games and faces months of watching from the sidelines despite training with the first team.
However, while Villa managed to overcome some difficult situations, they were woefully short of what Emery thought they should have prioritized.
Unai Emery wanted to sign Conor Gallagher in January
According to The Athletic, Villa learned in January of the possibility of signing England midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid and seriously pursued him as a ‘market opportunity’.
This wasn’t Villa’s first rodeo with Gallagher either.
Emery was actively pursuing him in 2024, when the 25-year-old ultimately opted to move from Chelsea to Spain rather than Villa Park.
The Villa manager was clearly convinced of the midfielder’s qualities and pushed hard again last month to finally sign the player.
Villa’s strong relationship with Atlético proved invaluable during negotiations.
They laid important groundwork over the weeks leading up to the winter period and had productive discussions with both Gallagher himself and his agent about a potential move to Birmingham.
Everything seemed to be going well until, towards the end, Tottenham suddenly emerged as serious rivals for his signature.
At that moment, Villa’s confidence completely evaporated.
Aston Villa submit bid on deadline day to secure biggest contract since Rodgers
Aston Villa are reportedly considering signing their star player in what would be their biggest signing since Morgan Rodgers.
They felt that Gallagher had deliberately begun delaying decisions as other clubs attempted to hijack the negotiations and undermine Villa’s carefully constructed plans.
Until Spurs intervened, Villa were acting directly on Emery’s personal desire to sign the former Chelsea academy graduate and genuinely felt Gallagher was willing to join Spurs.
The Athletic confirmed that this was an Emery-led pursuit from start to finish. Villa sources have revealed the offer comes with an initial loan of £22 million plus potential add-ons and an obligation to make the move permanent.
But this is where it really hurts for Villa – their offer included a much lower wage package than the one offered by Tottenham.
In the end, Spurs beat Villa’s wage structure and paid £34 million to sign Gallagher, beating out their league rivals and winning the race.
Emery must have been absolutely pissed to see one of his main targets choose Tottenham instead, especially after Villa spent weeks building relationships and laying the foundations, only to see Spurs swoop in with the checkbook.
It was another disappointing near miss for Villa in the transfer window.
Aston Villa sign upgrade with future ‘Beast’ Abraham
This Aston Villa talent is one to watch over the next few years.
