Atletico Madrid could open the doors for Conor Gallagher to leave the club in January, thus handing boosts to at least three English clubs.
According to TEAMtalk, Conor Gallagher could be allowed to leave Atletico Madrid should the club’s demands be met by suitors. Manchester United are one of those interested, while Newcastle United and Tottenham also remain keen, as the midfielder seeks guarantees of regular minutes.
It’s been a strange season for Conor Gallagher, having delivered some good performances last term after making his £35 million move from Chelsea. The summer arrivals of Johnny Cardoso and Alex Baena may have reduced the England international’s playing time, which did not even improve after the former spent a considerable period out with an injury.
Now that Cardoso has returned, there are chances for Gallagher to see further reduction in his minutes, which does not help his case to feature in England’s World Cup squad. For now, he has an outside chance to feature should he get more game time in the second half of the season.
Meanwhile, the report focuses on talks Gallagher had with Diego Simeone and the Atletico Madrid hierarchy before the Christmas period. Following those discussions, the Spanish giants are now ready to accelerate an exit for the player if their market demands are met, which certainly points towards a permanent transfer or a loan with a buy obligation at the very least.
Manchester United were keen to take him on loan earlier, and remain intent on opening talks with Atletico Madrid over the same. While the Red Devils are keen, they do not want to disturb their summer plans for a midfield revamp, which is the reason why they want someone like Gallagher on a temporary deal, which may see a buy option of sorts included.
Will Gallagher return to the Premier League?
Manchester United are not alone in the race, as Newcastle United and Tottenham are also interested in Gallagher. The two clubs are eager to shore up their midfield ranks, and at the moment, it’s probably Spurs or Manchester United where the £35 million La Liga midfielder could get proper game time, as the Magpies have a competitive enough midfield at their disposal.
It remains to be seen whether Gallagher pushes for an exit, although on first view, he might give the need to play regularly between now and the summer. There will be options ahead, but any move will depend on what Atletico Madrid wants in return.