De Zerbi can end Gallagher’s Spurs career by unleashing Tottenham’s new Modric

Facing the painful truth, it may simply be that Tottenham Hotspur lack the quality needed to stay in the Premier League.

There are certainly mitigating factors—the squad has been hit by injuries and drained of confidence throughout the campaign.

Yet equally, some players have spent too long performing well below their supposed level. At what point does poor form simply become the new standard?

Tottenham would give anything for a player like Gareth Bale in attack—a maverick, a difference-maker. Or Luka Modrić in midfield, pulling the strings like a conductor, inspiring the very qualities that have been absent under Thomas Frank, then Igor Tudor, and now Roberto De Zerbi.

It isn’t De Zerbi’s fault that Conor Gallagher was chosen by the ENIC Group as the marquee signing of the January window, arriving from Atlético Madrid for £35m. But the England international clearly isn’t the solution, and he may already be nearing the end of his time at the club.

Why Gallagher’s Spurs career could be over by summer
Gallagher is still waiting for his first Premier League win in a Tottenham shirt. Based on the evidence since his January arrival, he may well complete his spell at N17 without achieving that.

The 26-year-old embodies Tottenham’s poor recruitment and reflects the wider malaise consuming the club. Watching him in midfield over recent months has been difficult.

And though De Zerbi clearly likes Gallagher, his dismal performance against Sunderland will surely see him dropped ahead of next weekend’s clash with Brighton.

To be fair to the fans, they aren’t asking Gallagher to play like Modrić. But a bit of purposeful passing and athleticism wouldn’t go amiss. The former Chelsea man loses possession more than nine times per game on average, yet has not created a single big chance for a forward.

De Zerbi’s decision to pair Gallagher with João Palhinha in a midfield pivot at the Stadium of Light was described as “absolutely hilarious” by statistician Tactically Matt, with the two industrious players lacking any kind of progression or enterprise on the ball.

Palhinha is an excellent ball-winner and needs to play. But if De Zerbi is to enforce swift change, it might be worth drafting in a young midfielder who could become Tottenham’s new version of Modrić.

Spurs’ new Modrić spells bad news for Gallagher

While he still has a long way to go, Lucas Bergvall has the makings of a special midfielder. His natural ability on the ball suggests he could become a difference-maker in the years ahead.

But he needs to start. A significant role in De Zerbi’s midfield could prove crucial in the fight against relegation. Bergvall didn’t play a perfect game against Sunderland, but he stood out among his struggling teammates, once again bringing maturity and ambition to the side.

His penetrative midfield play has even led The Athletic’s JJ Bull to note that Bergvall possesses a “first touch like Modrić”—and he’s pretty good at passing the ball forward too.

Having completed 64% of his dribbles in the Premier League this season, the Sweden international has shown he deserves to start for a side lacking attacking talent.

Though injuries have cost him games, the fact that he has started only 11 times may have contributed to Tottenham’s problems, with various central pairings across the campaign tending to fall short.

Bergvall is not Modrić, but he’s closer to the Croatian legend than Gallagher is. If the Englishman truly remains the centrepiece of this midfield over the closing weeks of the season, Tottenham will be in deep trouble, with their current struggles to create chances potentially tipping them into the second tier.

Bergvall has played a fair amount of Premier League football this season, but probably not enough. Going forward, it’s reasonable to argue that he should move ahead of Gallagher in the pecking order—his natural technical ability and desire to get forward are things Gallagher simply isn’t providing.