Tottenham have reversed their stance on Oliver Skipp with the midfielder now in talks over a new deal amid interest from Leicester City.
Oliver Skipp has been linked with a move away from the club for a while now. With the defensive midfielder not an important part of Tottenham’s first-team, they have been open to offers for his services.
According to a report from Football Insider, Spurs have made a U-turn on Skipp’s future as they are now looking to offer him a new contract to continue at the club.
Skipp joined the Tottenham youth setup back in 2013 and he went up the ranks at some pace. While he has been a part of their first team setup since the summer of 2018, the English defensive midfielder has only had limited game time at the North London club. Last season, he was involved in 24 matches but was on the pitch for less than 900 minutes.
Since he is not an important part of their setup, Tottenham were ready to negotiate his departure as long as they could secure a homegrown player as a replacement. Leicester City were keen on his signature as they look to reinforce their midfield. They were looking at Skipp as an ideal replacement for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall but will not have to look elsewhere as Spurs are pushing to extend his contract.
They are in advanced talks with the 23-year-old over a new deal. With Pierre-Emile Højbjerg leaving the club, they are quite inclined to have Skipp around. The report suggests that negotiations have been progressing quite well and it could result in an agreement this week
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In the Premier League, every season is important, but for Tottenham Hotspur, that feels especially true for 2024/25.
The Lilywhites enjoyed a relatively successful campaign under Ange Postecoglou last year, which ended in Europa League qualification, but this year, the objective has to be Champions League football.
The Australian won’t get the same pass he did last year if there is another end-of-season collapse, although with the right signings, that can hopefully be avoided.
Fortunately, Daniel Levy and Co are hard at work as, based on recent reports, the latest player touted for a move to N17 would be perfect for Postecoglou and be unreal alongside James Maddison.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from Sky Sports, Tottenham have maintained their interest in Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.
The report claims that the Lilywhites are expected to make an offer for the Englishman soon, although the Blues are in talks with Atlético Madrid about a possible move to the La Liga giants.
The good news for the North Londoners is that a separate report from talkSPORT has claimed the West Londoners are looking for a fee north of £50m, while the Spanish side are not looking to spend more than £40m, leaving room for Levy and Co to get ahead of them.
If Spurs are to sign Gallagher in the coming weeks, it won’t be a cheap deal, but given his form last season and the potential partnership he could form with Maddison, it would be worth it.
Why Gallagher would be a great teammate for Maddison
Now, there are two main reasons why Gallagher would be such a great teammate for Maddison, and they are also some of the reasons he’d be great for Postecoglou.
The first is that in midfield, his boundless energy and ability to play a more defensive, if not disruptive, style of football would allow the former Foxes star to focus his attention on what’s happening at the sharp end of the pitch.
For example, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the Englishman sits in the top 1% of attacking midfielders – where he made 21 starts last year – or wingers for interceptions, the top 4% for tackles, the top 8% for clearances and the top 11% for blocks, all per 90.
However, while the Epsom-born “machine,” as teammate Moises Caicedo dubbed him, is a fantastically hard worker in midfield, he can also help with attacking phases of play, sometimes taking some of the attention of the Coventry-born ace.
For example, in 50 appearances last season, the 24-year-old scored seven goals and provided nine assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 3.12 games, and while that’s not earth-shatteringly good, it’s a rate of return that would be tremendously helpful to have in the side.
Ultimately, while the fee is high, and he might not be the most glamorous of names, Gallagher would be a great signing for Spurs, and thanks to his relentless running and underrated attacking ability, he’d be unreal alongside Maddison.
