Roberto De Zerbi made it clear that Conor Gallagher isn't leaving his plans
Ever since joining Tottenham Hotspur for 40 million euros in the January 2026 transfer window, Conor Gallagher has been met with skepticism and outright criticism. His tenure at the club started poorly, and though it recovered by the end of the season when Roberto De Zerbi came on board, his play seemed untenable to start the new 2026/27 campaign.
But Gallagher has now scored in back to back games, and even before Tottenham took the field on Saturday with the Engalnd international breaking their official Premier League season scoring duck after putting one past Liverpool in the League Cup, De Zerbi made it pretty clear that any hopes of Gallagher being struck out from his lineup plans will not be happening.
The Italian manager waxed poetic about Gallagher's character and some of the other qualities he brings to the table for Spurs, telling reporters, via Hotspur Lane, “Even if he doesn’t play every game, I love him. He's generous, he's a smart player, he has the right mentality. Then there are other things in football, the characteristics. You have to understand before the game, because after the game it's easier, what is the best characteristic you need for that game. When Conor has not played, it’s because I needed different characteristics just for that. I think when I came last season, Conor didn't play until my arrival. When I came, he played every game. I love him. He's my player. I know he's a reliable player. When I call him, he's always ready to fight, to run.”
Managers seem to love Conor Gallagher
These are the same reasons why Thomas Frank wanted Conor Gallagher and why so many managers, including Spurs legend Mauricio Pochettino when he was at Chelsea, rate the player highly despite his obvious creative and tactical limitations.
Tottenham need players who are fighters and honestly don't have enough of that in the squad, especially after they let Joao Palhinha walk to Portugal this summer. Gallagher has showed a lot of scrap and heart for Spurs, both in the relegation fight and in getting a couple of goals off for the Lilywhites in their last two games when they needed something in the attack.
Roberto De Zerbi knows, based on a lot of the vague praise for "characteristics" and less praise over technical aspects, that Gallagher isn't his best player in the attacking or center midfield. But he is one of his best people in terms of heart and effort, and he isn't going to discard him any time soon.
