Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Conor Gallagher remains an option for Manchester United heading into January.
In the very final stages of the summer window, United tried their luck by submitting a loan offer for Gallagher in hopes of him spending 2025/2026 at Old Trafford.
Atletico Madrid rebuffed the proposal, which they’d also done only a few weeks prior when Crystal Palace established their interest in bringing the midfielder back to Selhurst Park on a temporary deal.
Atletico closed door to Gallagher deal in August
The La Liga giants were only willing to facilitate a permanent transfer, and their valuation would’ve likely priced both Premier League clubs out of a move.
However, with Gallagher now spending the majority of Atleti’s league matches watching on from the substitutes’ bench, he might push for a mid-season departure to improve his situation in the build-up to next year’s World Cup.
Currently a 22-capped international for England, Gallagher has not featured for his nation since June, playing for 59 minutes in a friendly defeat to Senegal.
He has not been utilised by Thomas Tuchel for the last two breaks, and didn’t make the cut when the Three Lions’ final squad of 2025 was announced last Friday.
It’s not difficult to see why, either. The 25-year-old has started jus twice in the league across the opening 12 games and has racked up only 339 minutes on the pitch.
United tipped to return for Gallagher in the winter
His situation will undoubtedly be monitored by transfer chiefs at Carrington, meaning a revived pursuit might be on the cards in the coming months.
“Conor Gallagher could be an opportunity, but Atletico Madrid didn’t want to let him go in August. So let’s see what happens in the January window,” said Romano when speaking to GiveMeSport.
“Angelo Stiller is also a player they appreciate from Stuttgart, but I don’t see a German club selling one of the stars in the January window at all. So January is not going to be easy.
“It’s going to be about opportunities in the summer, which could be different. And for sure, Manchester United in 2026 will add again, at least one midfielder.”
We need a defensive midfielder in January and Gallagher is not a defensive midfielder.
Guerra or Stiller would be more beneficial to us, if we can’t get Wharton.
But we should be giving game time to Kone, Devaney, and Fletcher, now.
Lacey, Obi, and some other youngsters should also be added to training now, as we will be losing 3 of our top players to the AFCON from middle of next month. These players could miss up to 8 games over this period, and God help us if any of these pick up a long term injury.
This is why we should have our young player ready to hit the ground running when we have injuries. Another issue is, some players who are on the bench taking up space who will never be played under Amorim. We should have more of our academy players on the bench who would die for the badge. But Amorim wants his own players which will cost the club millions, at a time we need to build a new stadium. Kone, or Devaney, could turn out to be our new Baleba or Wharton, if they were only given their chance, but like Mainoo, McTominay, and some others, they will most likely be sold on. Really sad.