Conor Gallagher has opened up on his lack of minutes at Atletico Madrid amid Manchester United’s reported interest in the English midfielder.
Manchester United are expected to target at least one new midfielder in 2026, although it is not yet clear whether the signing will come in January or during the summer window.
Carlos Baleba was the midfielder Rúben Amorim and United’s recruitment team identified as their ideal addition last summer, but the move collapsed when Brighton demanded at least £100 million. United had already agreed personal terms with Baleba and he was eager to join.
United have also been strongly linked with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, while Adam Wharton’s name has repeatedly surfaced as another option.
Baleba is still viewed as a major target for the summer, but Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher is becoming an increasingly prominent name ahead of the January window.
Gallagher opens up on Atletico minutes problem
United’s links with the English midfielder started up in the final week of the window, when Gallagher was barely playing under Diego Simeone, with the club submitting a loan bid on deadline day that was rejected.
Fast forward to mid-November, and rumours surrounding United interest continue, with a loan plus option to buy reportedly a genuine possibility in January. Amidst this, Gallagher has opened up to Diario AS about his continued lack of playing time in Madrid.
“I’m not satisfied,” the 25-year-old admitted, having played just 545 of a possible 1,530 this season.
“I don’t think anyone will be if they don’t play as much as they would like, but I will continue to work very hard to, whenever I have the opportunity, help the team and hopefully more opportunities will come to be a starter.”
However, he also quickly stressed that he is happy and settled in Madrid, and is only focused on his current team’s success.
“I’m very happy here. My goal is to win titles with Atleti, and I want to have a bigger role in the team. And, as I said, I’m going to continue working to the maximum to play more minutes and be able to help the team.”
When asked about his England ambitions ahead of the World Cup, he replied: “That’s one of my goals. I have spoken to Thomas Tuchel, and he has told me what he needs from me and what I have to do to return to the team.
“And it seems that, right now, it’s very difficult for me to get to that point. But, as I said before, I will continue to do my best to get more minutes and, hopefully, return to the national team.”
Gallagher move to United in January unlikely
Despite the continued reports about a possible move for Gallagher, ESPN have stated that it’s unlikely that United will reinforce their midfield options in January.
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It’s claimed that the club are instead determined to wait until the summer to pursue their top targets, such as Baleba and Anderson, and will remain with their current crop until the end of the campaign.
ESPN state that the club are hoping to shave as much as £1 million a week from their wage bill next summer once the likes of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, and others depart, with Casemiro and Harry Maguire’s contracts set to expire in June 2026, too.
However, Maguire and Casemiro could both be offered new deals on reduced, incentivised terms to keep them around the squad, as both players are highly appreciated by the United boss.
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