---
title: "Tottenham fans have wild theory on why Conor Gallagher was offered bumper £200k-per-week contract"
canonical: "https://readtottenham.com/2026/02/25/tottenham-fans-have-wild-theory-on-why-conor-gallagher-was-offered-bumper-200k-per-week-contract/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Vishal Subramanian"
section: "Tottenham News"
published: "2026-02-25T13:56:47Z"
modified: "2026-02-25T13:56:56Z"
---

# Tottenham fans have wild theory on why Conor Gallagher was offered bumper £200k-per-week contract

**Conor Gallagher joined Tottenham Hotspur in the January transfer window after a lukewarm spell with Atletico Madrid in La Liga.**

The England international is no stranger to the Premier League, having already represented the likes of Chelsea, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion in the top-flight.

Tottenham bolstered their squad with the addition of Gallagher and Souza in January to ease their injury woes.

However, their arrivals haven’t resulted in the uptick of form that was expected, as they currently find themselves 16th in the Premier League table, just four points above the relegation zone.

A report from [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/feb/24/spurs-rip-up-wage-structure-invest-squad-transfer-window-summer) confirmed that Gallagher is Tottenham’s highest-paid player, earning around £200,000-per-week.

And naturally, that goes the fans talking, with some speculating that his potential arrival could be linked with Mauricio Pochettino’s return to Tottenham.

## The Gallagher-Pochettino link

Gallagher was Pochettino’s stand-in captain at Chelsea, with the England international regularly deputising for Reece James and Ben Chilwell during the 2023-24 campaign.

The midfielder made 50 appearances in all competitions that season and was one of the Argentine’s most trusted players, eventually earning a move to Atletico Madrid.

In recent weeks, [Pochettino has been linked with a return to Tottenham](https://readtottenham.com/2026/02/13/what-sources-close-to-roberto-de-zerbi-are-saying-amid-talks-of-replacing-thomas-frank-at-tottenham-hotspur/) as they remain on the lookout for a permanent manager to succeed Igor Tudor.

And now, Spurs fans online have seemingly joined one and two to claim that Gallagher’s arrival for top dollar could have been made to reunite him with Pochettino in the summer.

> Seen a lot of frustration at Conor Gallagher’s reported wages today. \
> \
> Could it be that [#thfc](https://twitter.com/hashtag/thfc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) for once offered the wages/deal to get the player in front of competition (Aston Villa) with deal advanced & also brought Pochettino’s Chelsea Captain to the club ahead of the summer. [pic.twitter.com/KGhcPMsKUw](https://t.co/KGhcPMsKUw)
>
> — Lilywhite Rose (@Lilywhite\_Rose) [February 24, 2026](https://twitter.com/Lilywhite_Rose/status/2026381664574718243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

One fan wrote, “Gallagher just isn’t worth £200k when he’s going to be a bench player in 12 months,” to which the same account responded, “If Poch comes in he will not be a bench player. Was his captain at Chelsea.”

> Connor Gallagher to Spurs\
> \= Pochettino to Spurs\
> \
> Mark my words. We are so back. [pic.twitter.com/i7gCi0JbdE](https://t.co/i7gCi0JbdE)
>
> — Bill Nick (@AndILoveTheClub) [January 13, 2026](https://twitter.com/AndILoveTheClub/status/2011220827627536480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

## Could they reunite at Tottenham?

Gallagher and Pochettino clearly enjoyed working together at Stamford Bridge. However, at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, Pochettino was sacked by the Blues, while they also began talks with Atletico to facilitate Gallagher’s transfer.

Speaking in 2024, Gallagher lauded the former Chelsea boss for the impact he had in his career. He said via Sky Sports: “I’ve come a long way this season. I give a lot of credit to Pochettino and what he’s done for me.

**Read More:** [What sources close to Roberto de Zerbi are saying amid talks of replacing Thomas Frank at Tottenham Hotspur](https://readtottenham.com/2026/02/13/what-sources-close-to-roberto-de-zerbi-are-saying-amid-talks-of-replacing-thomas-frank-at-tottenham-hotspur/)

“He gave me a responsibility and trust at Chelsea. It puts me in a better position to be a bigger part of the \[England\] squad at this tournament.

“He just showed his belief and trust in me, which is all a player wants, to be honest. If a manager shows you a bit of love, it makes you play better—long story short. It gives you confidence, and that’s what he gave me.”

> "I've come a long way, I give a lot of credit to Pochettino" 👏\
> \
> Conor Gallagher thanks former Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino for giving him extra responsibility as captain last season 🔵 [pic.twitter.com/YgzgP82SlT](https://t.co/YgzgP82SlT)
>
> — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) [June 13, 2024](https://twitter.com/SkySportsPL/status/1801250322809012499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

They’ve gone their separate ways since, but could well be reunited at the end of the season.

Pochettino remains one of the favourites to take the Tottenham job, although he is currently with the USA national team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

We have to wait and see what happens, but Tottenham fans on social media are clearly letting their creative juices flow to understand exactly why they decided to break their wage structure for Gallagher, of all players.