Man Utd Midfield Target Fuels Transfer Speculation With Two-Word Admission

The Red Devils have their sights set on bolstering their midfield this January.

Ruben Amorim is in need of a midfield reinforcement. / Carl Recine/Getty Images

Amid growing speculation of a potential transfer to Manchester United, Conor Gallagher admitted he is “not satisfied” with his current role at Atlético Madrid.

The England international made the move to the Spanish capital ahead of the 2024–25 season, bidding farewell to Chelsea after 95 appearances for the Blues. What started as a promising La Liga career for Gallagher has slowly turned sour, with the midfielder struggling to break into Diego Simeone’s XI.

In fact, the 25-year-old has made just three competitive starts for Los Colchoneros this season, fueling rumours of a potential transfer back to the Premier League, with Man Utd leading the race in an effort to bolster their midfield.

“I’m not satisfied,” Gallagher said of his situation at Atlético Madrid in an exclusive interview with AS.

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“I don’t think anyone is if they’re not playing as much as they’d like, but I’ll keep working very hard to help the team whenever I have the chance, and hopefully more opportunities to be a starter will come.”

Simeone has continuously overlooked Gallagher in favour of Pablo Barrios as Atlético Madrid continue their surge back up the La Liga standings after a poor start to the season. The ex-Chelsea midfielder, though, has remained on the bench for most of the club’s 11-game unbeaten run in the Spanish top-flight.

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Man Utd Are in the Market for a Midfield Reinforcement

Conor Gallagher is struggling for playing time in his second season under Diego Simeone. / Diego Souto/Getty Images

The Red Devils made bolstering their attack a priority this summer, signing Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško. The splash of cash on the forwards left little room for Man Utd to also bring in a much-needed midfield reinforcement.

Ruben Amorim’s side is thought to be interested in rectifying their mistake once the January transfer window opens, and Gallagher has been a name routinely linked with the 20-time English champions.

The Englishman would bring his sharp passing, defensive prowess and high work rate to Man Utd, giving Amorim a more versatile option to deploy over Manuel Ugarte, who has struggled to make an impact ever since his move to Manchester.

Still, Gallagher walked back talk of a potential transfer, stating, “I’m very happy here. My goal is to win titles with Atléti and I want to have a bigger role in the team. And, as I’ve said, I’m going to keep working as hard as I can to play more minutes and help the team.”

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