Chelsea fan favourite 'on the verge' of joining Aston Villa - Fabrizio Romano

Cameron Smith

• 12 Jan 2026 14:58 GMT
• 4 min read

News

Aston Villa are reportedly closing in on a deal for Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher.

The England star has fallen out of favour under Diego Simeone this term and he has been widely tipped to secure a return to the Premier League before the end of the January transfer window.

Current ETV

Conor Gallagher

M (CL), DM (C)

Conor Gallagher

M (CL), DM (C)

€40.7M

ETV Range

€36.6M - €44.8M

View full profile

Gallagher, who was a fan favourite during his time at Chelsea, has only started four of Atletico Madrid’s 19 La Liga fixtures so far this season, and Tottenham Hotspur are among the English top flight clubs eager to secure his signature.

However, Aston Villa have been in advanced talks with Atletico Madrid for several days and Unai Emery’s side are now close to finalising a deal for the 25-year-old as they look to bolster their first-team squad for an unexpected Premier League title push.

That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who posted on X: “Aston Villa are on the verge of club to club agreement for Conor Gallagher.

“Negotiations are at final stages with Atletico Madrid, loan with buy option clause to eventually becoming mandatory. Talks to continue on player side now.”

Aston Villa chase Tammy Abraham deal

In addition to Gallagher, Aston Villa are also eyeing a potential move for fellow ex-Chelsea academy star Tammy Abraham.

The former England striker is currently on loan at Besiktas from AS Roma, although the Turkish Super Lig club reportedly have an obligation to sign him on a permanent deal this summer if certain conditions are met.

However, he could be set to secure a return to the Premier League in January, with Aston Villa eager to re-sign the 28-year-old amid their pursuit of a player capable of providing competition for Ollie Watkins.

Abraham, who has scored 12 goals for Besiktas this term, spent the 2018-19 season on loan at Aston Villa and he played a pivotal role in their promotion from the Championship - netting 26 times in 40 games for the Midlands outfit.

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