Manchester United are reportedly interested in a transfer move for Atletico Madrid central midfielder Conor Gallagher, but not for his asking price of €30m.
According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, the Red Devils are mulling over making a move for Gallagher, with a €30m investment being analysed by club chiefs.
Man Utd are admirers of Gallagher, but are seemingly unsure about paying quite that much for the England international, as it would be a significant dent to their budget.
Atletico are open to letting Gallagher go, according to Fichajes, but they’re also in no hurry to sell, so it remains to be seen if things will end up accelerating as we get closer to January.
Conor Gallagher looks like a useful midfield signing for Manchester United
Midfield has been something of a problem position for United in recent times, so Gallagher’s qualities could be good for Ruben Amorim to have.
The 25-year-old is a strong box-to-box player, which is ideal for Amorim as he only tends to use two players in the centre of midfield.
This puts a lot of emphasis on all-rounders in that department, whereas playing with a midfield three allows a bit more room for specialists in either defensive or attacking midfield roles.
Gallagher also has experience of playing in the Premier League, having previously been a useful first-team player at Chelsea.
Conor Gallagher keeping an eye on the situation
One imagines Gallagher might be keen to return to England if possible, with Fichajes reporting that he’s keeping an eye on how United’s interest develops.
Still, if a move to MUFC doesn’t work out, Gallagher could also have other options, with TEAMtalk recently claiming that the likes of Tottenham, Newcastle, Everton and West Ham have also been showing an interest.
It will be interesting to see if United decide to pay what’s required to land Gallagher, or if they instead wait for a more expensive option that might be seen as a more worthwhile investment.
If Ineos don’t sign a midfielder in early January, they will throw away a top 4 place. We probably need a couple of players next month, but a midfielder is the most important. We are a couple of points off a top 4 place and getting a top midfielder in early could get us a Champions League place for next season. This would entice the top players to come here and Ineos MUST get a couple of players here from next week.