It would seem that Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has conceded defeat in the brazen push to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher this month, with Football Insider revealing that a move has been 'shelved' until the summer.
Spurs have been in fine fettle this season and perch just three points behind third-placed Aston Villa after 21 fixtures in the Premier League, having languished to a lowly eighth-placed finish last year.
Postecoglou's side have been in an even more commanding position if not for a lack of depth that created a stark decline in form in November, though this issue has been fixed through the winter acquisitions of Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner.
The Lilywhites still need to strengthen the midfield, however, and while Gallagher was considered the No. 1 target it seems that Chelsea are standing firm on their stance that he shall remain at Stamford Bridge until the end of the campaign.
The search for a new star in the centre was not limited to just one player and now attention looks to have shifted abroad, with a Serie A star catching Postecoglou's eye.
Spurs eyeing Serie A star
According to Italian outlet Tutto Atalanta, Tottenham are poised to rival Newcastle United for the signing of Atalanta phenom Ederson, who has been immense for his side over the past few years.
It's understood that La Dea value the Brazilian among their most important and influential players and are reluctant to grant his departure at the season's midpoint, currently one point behind Fiorentina in the top four.
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That said, Italian reports earlier in the term suggest that Atalanta would be tempted to consider bids totalling €40m (£34m), which would make him a far more affordable option for Tottenham than Gallagher, who has a £50m price tag.
Ederson's style of play
Joining Atalanta from divisional rivals Salernitana in July 2022 after playing an instrumental part in Salerno's incredible great escape in Serie A, Ederson has demonstrated incremental growth over the past several years and is now one of the leading midfielders in the division.
As per Sofascore, he has scored five goals and supplied one assist across 19 starting appearances in the Italian top-flight this year, completing 84% of his passes, succeeding with 76% of his dribbles and averaging 2.5 tackles and 5.6 ball recoveries per match.
A multi-faceted player, Ederson ranks among the top 17% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 15% for successful take-ons, the top 16% for interceptions and the top 5% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.
What this effectively signifies is a roundedness that would allow him to perform multiple roles in Postecoglou's system, influencing attacking play and sweeping away danger in front of the rearguard, with these attributes leading South American football expert Tim Vickery to hail his "versatile" nature.
Player
Club
Santi Comesana
Villarreal
Hicham Boudaoui
Nice
Pierre Lees-Melou
Brest
Youssouf Fofana
AS Monaco
Conor Gallagher
Chelsea
*Sourced via FBref
Given that Gallagher is actually the 24-year-old's most comparable player plying their trade in the Premier League, it may well be an astute piece of business for a cog that would slot into the Lilywhites squad like a dovetail joint.
There's a reason why Gallagher has been so highly coveted by the powers that be at Tottenham, having established himself as a leading figure in Chelsea's team this season, praised for his "monster" efforts both with the ball and in tracking back and rebuffing opposition advances.
Once considered something of an ancillary member of the Blues team, now he leads by talismanic example, starting 20 times in the top-flight this term, racking up four assists, succeeding with 91% of his passes and 77% of his dribbles and averaging 1.4 key passes, 2.7 tackles, 6.9 ball recoveries and 5.8 duels per outing.
He also ranks among the top 4% of positional peers for blocks, the top 19% for tackles and the top 22% for pass completion and progressive carries per 90, which highlights the semblance in style with Ederson.
Chelsea have not been brilliant under Mauricio Pochettino by any stretch but there are signs of robust life sprouting out, and Gallagher is one of the fulcrums of this growth – candidly, hardly surprising that his side are unwilling to let him leave in January.
How Ederson would fit in at Spurs
Given that Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are currently with their national teams at the African Cup of Nations, Ederson might find space to make an instant impact at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium if discussions advance over the coming days.
# Tackling
# Dribbling
# Concentration
# Interceptions
# Long passing
*Sourced via WhoScored
The £42k-per-week dynamo is skilled enough in his technical ability and industrious enough in his approach that he would indeed have a great shot at ascending to the front of the pack under Postecoglou's wing, especially given that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been told that he is free to leave the club.
The Dane has been a dependable presence for Tottenham over the past few years but his lack of mobility and reserved nature in his passing play has pushed him onto the periphery this season, starting just five fixtures in the Premier League so far.
Ederson does look to be much more of a suitable fit and it wouldn't be unwise for Postecoglou to push for the 28-year-old's departure, freeing up room for the Atalanta man's arrival.
Ederson's apparent omnipresence when conducting his work is something that Postecoglou's high-octane, free-flowing vision would welcome with outspread arms and if the money is in the bank then Spurs must seriously consider pushing for completion over the next ten days.
The dynamic midfielder has many of the qualities that Gallagher offers and given that the England international is now out of reach, pushing for Ederson's signature would be a great way to land a star of similar style, augmenting the ranks with an impactful new face.