Conor Gallagher signs for Aston Villa and five transfers that could be completed this week

Tom Weber

• Updated: 12 Jan 2026 12:08 CST
• 4 min read

Analysis

The January transfer window is in full swing, and there have already been some interesting deals.

Pascal Gross made a surprising return to Brighton in the early stages of the window, while Crystal Palace completed the club-record signing of Brennan Johnson.

Last week, Man City pulled off what is likely to be the biggest deal of the month when they finally announced the arrival of Antoine Semenyo for a €72 million fee from Bournemouth.

This week, there are also bound to be some big deals, with familiar faces returning to the Premier League and others securing a surprising departure. Below, FootballTransfers runs through five transfers that could be completed this week...

Conor Gallagher - Aston Villa

England international Conor Gallagher is heading back to the Premier League after failing to nail down a guaranteed starting spot at Atletico Madrid, which has jeopardised his World Cup chances.

The former Chelsea midfielder is on his way to Birmingham after Aston Villa agreed a deal with Atletico Madrid. This deal is believed to be an initial loan with a permanent element attached.

Tottenham also explored a move for Gallagher, while Man Utd were heavily linked. However, it now looks as though long-time admirer Unai Emery will finally get his man.

Souza - Tottenham

Santos left-back Souza is set to complete his transfer to Tottenham this week. Spurs agreed a deal for the teenage sensation last week, and he is expected to arrive in North London shortly.

The 19-year-old will cost around €15m and is likely to be the first of several new Spurs signings this month. Thomas Frank is fighting to save his job and needs reinforcements.

Midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has suffered an injury and will need to be replaced, hence the above-mentioned interest in Gallagher.

Lucas Paqueta - Flamengo

The Lucas Paqueta transfer saga is expected to end imminently. For years, the Brazil international has vacillated between wanting to leave West Ham and telling fans that he is desperate to stay.

After failed moves to Man City and Aston Villa, the 28-year-old is now pushing for a return to boyhood club Flamengo. Terms have been agreed, and Paqueta is trying to convince West Ham to let him go.

The Hammers are naturally reluctant to greenlight the mid-season departure of such a key player, but Paqueta has made his intentions clear.

Donyell Malen - AS Roma

AS Roma are in advanced talks with Aston Villa to sign Netherlands international Donyell Malen, who has been a hit-and-miss signing for the Birmingham club.

Malen has had his moments, but he has been unable to nail down a regular starting spot under Unai Emery since his move from Borussia Dortmund.

Roma are looking to loan the versatile forward with an option to make the deal permanent in the future. Roma already loaned Leon Bailey from Villa in the summer.

Andreas Skov Olsen - Rangers

Rangers are surprisingly in talks to sign Wolfsburg attacker Andreas Skov Olsen. The Bundesliga club paid €14 million to sign him last January, but he has not managed to become a regular starter.

Rangers have made a "big financial offer" for the 26-year-old winger, with various sources confirming that talks with Wolfsburg are in full swing. Skov Olsen is desperate to leave the club.

The Denmark international was omitted from Wolfsburg's squad for their 8-1 thrashing at the hands of Bayern on Sunday and is expected to seal a move away.

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