Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is keen to improve his midfield options when the January window opens, with former Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher on the radar
Manchester United are targeting a shock move for Conor Gallagher. United boss Ruben Amorim remains keen to strengthen his midfield, and has targeted former Chelsea star Gallagher, now with Atletico Madrid.
Brighton star Carlos Baleba has been on United's radar in the last 12 months, but Brighton have no interest in letting him go cheap. A price tag of around £110m has put off the English giants.
United bosses are now looking at alternative options, and believe Gallagher would be an ideal addition to a midfield that will lose veteran Brazil international Casemiro next summer, when he is expected to leave at the end of his contract.
England international Gallagher joined Atletico in a £36m deal in 2024. However, he has struggled to make a significant impact with the Spanish outfit, and has started just two games so far this season.
Diego Simeone has still to be convinced of Gallagher's importance to his team, and could allow him to be sold, while it’s believed that Atleti president Enrique Cerezo would do a deal for Gallagher at the £50m mark.
The 25-year-old would attract interest from a number of English clubs if made available. And United would have to be in the running for Champions League qualification to boost their chances of luring Gallagher to Old Trafford in January.
Gallagher was left out of Thomas Tuchel's last England squad, and is becoming concerned that his lack of starts in Spain could damage his chances of going to next summer's World Cup.
Amorim opted against strengthening his midfield during the summer window, instead signing three forwards in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. That approach is now being seriously questioned with United losing three of their first six Premier League matches.
Speaking after the 3-1 defeat at Brentford, Gary Neville blasted Amorim for a lack of consistency with his selections and admitted he now fears for the Portuguese boss.
"I am very worried, Rebecca; there is no point in me sitting here and saying I’m not,” he told NBC Sports’ Rebecca Lowe.
"The levels of performance, the results and the substitutions yesterday. I saw something at the end of the Grimsby game that they lost in the Carabao Cup a couple of weeks ago, which was Mason Mount ending up at left wing-back.
"We admire managers who are stubborn and resilient around their system, we want them to stick to their plan, but when you have Mason Mount playing at left-back, you are going to look pretty stupid.
"It has happened twice now and it can't happen. The first time I thought it was unforgivable and yesterday it happened again.
"He changes his back three and his back five every single game and the performances and the results are just unacceptable.
"I'm really, really worried. I would never go on television, as I know how difficult a manager's job can be, and say a manager should be sacked, but I suspect the hierarchy at Manchester United are going to want to see a turnaround."