"HERE WE GO!" FABRIZIO ROMANO CONFIRMS TAMMY ABRAHAM IS HEADING TO VILLA
Aston Villa have reached a verbal agreement to sign Tammy Abraham for €21m plus Yasin Özcan. Discover the latest on his 2026 return.
Aston Villa are on the verge of sealing another January signing after reaching a verbal agreement, with the club looking to make it official in the next 24 hours.
Unai Emery has had to work around strict PSR rules while building a squad that can go toe-to-toe with the top six, but this month, NSWE looks set to really back him.
Villa are among the frontrunners for next season’s Champions League and, who knows, maybe even the Premier League title itself. Emery wants to strengthen the squad for what could turn out to be a historic finish to the 2025/26 season.
They’ve got problems, though. Donyell Malen’s move to Roma has left them short up front, and Boubacar Kamara’s season-ending injury forced them to hunt for a midfielder.
Lately, Villa have been linked with a bunch of midfielders—Ruben Loftus-Cheek from AC Milan, Raphael Onyedika from Club Brugge, and even a reunion with Douglas Luiz, just in the last week.
But Emery’s search for a striker to support Ollie Watkins is almost done.
Despite all the talk about Jean-Philippe Mateta at Crystal Palace, Wolves’ Jorgen Strand Larsen, and PSG’s Gonçalo Ramos, it sounds like Villa have zeroed in on their top target: Tammy Abraham.
Besiktas signed Abraham on loan last summer with an obligation to buy, which they’ve just triggered.
After what sounds like some pretty complicated negotiations with the Turkish club, Villa seems to have found a way to bring their ex-striker home for an emotional reunion.
Fabrizio Romano says defender Yasin Özcan will be part of an £18 million part-exchange deal, plus add-ons. So after plenty of back-and-forth, Villa are finally about to get their man.
According to Ben Jacobs from talkSPORT and GiveMeSport, the deal still needs a few details ironed out, but both clubs have shaken hands on a verbal agreement.
Abraham has already agreed to personal terms, so his return to Villa Park should become official within a day.
He’ll join Brazilian youngster Alysson and teenage striker Brian Madjo as Villa’s new arrivals this window, but unlike those two, Abraham brings proven experience.
Journalist Henry Winter summed it up earlier this week—signing Abraham for around £18 million would be a “bargain.” The guy has scored against some of the best keepers in the world, going all the way back to his Chelsea days.
“Tammy Abraham has scored against Alisson, Neuer, Sommer, Pope, De Gea, Maignan, Leno, Ramsdale, Szczesny, Vicario, Onana, Rui Patricio, Kasper Schmeichel, and Dean Henderson, amongst many others, over the past decade and all over,” Winter said on X.
“Excellent striker. It'll be good to see Abraham back in the Premier League. €20m is a bargain for a proven goalscorer who’s 28 and has a point to prove in World Cup year.”
Abraham already knows the Premier League, and he knows Villa. That could be a big boost for Emery, even if it means Ollie Watkins might have to start looking over his shoulder.
CONOR GALLAGHER CONFIRMED AS "VITAL" STARTER FOR SPURS FOLLOWING BENTANCUR’S INJURY LAYOFF
Conor Gallagher proved the doubters wrong against Man City. Discover why his €40m move to Tottenham is finally paying off for Spurs.
Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both decided Conor Gallagher wasn’t worth the trouble. At Chelsea, he had his moments—Pochettino liked him, but the fans never really warmed up. When Chelsea shipped him off to Atletico, it made sense. Enzo Fernandez stepped up, took over Gallagher’s role, and fit in perfectly next to Caicedo, with Cole Palmer adding that extra spark up front.
Things didn’t get much better for Gallagher in Spain. He barely got a chance at Atleti, lost his spot in the starting eleven, and pretty much ended up on the transfer list before anyone had time to blink. Interest was lukewarm at best until the winter window rolled around. Aston Villa wanted him and went after him pretty aggressively, but then Tottenham swooped in late. Spurs needed someone to patch up the midfield after Bentancur’s injury, so they just paid up—40 million euros, no hesitation.
His start at Tottenham? Rough. Honestly, that was to be expected. He’d played well at Palace before, but after his struggles at Atleti, he needed time to adjust. Sitting on the bench in Spain didn’t do him any favours.
Then Gallagher showed up. People doubted whether he could really add creativity and move the ball forward for Spurs, so his early struggles got people worried. But then came the 2-2 draw against Manchester City. He suddenly looked like the player both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank were so desperate to sign.
Against City, Gallagher flipped the script. He set up a crucial assist, drove play forward on the dribble, and kept drawing fouls—everything the Spurs needed. Defensively, he was all over the place in a good way: two tackles, three interceptions, a full 90 minutes, and a huge part of the Spurs clawing their way back into the game.
Tottenham fans loved it. They saw the effort, the attitude, and the hunger to win. Gallagher just wouldn’t quit, and in that second half, he, Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke ran the show. Four of those guys have been carrying Spurs lately, so Gallagher is fitting right in with them. That’s a pretty good sign he’s going to work out just fine in North London.
AC MILAN MEDICAL FAILURE: THE HIDDEN KNEE INJURY THAT CRUSHED MATETA’S £30M MOVE
Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m move to AC Milan is OFF. Discover why a failed medical has put his France World Cup dreams in jeopardy.