Man Utd on alert as Euro powerhouse prepared to negotiate January sale of midfield man – journalist

Manchester United have been given a golden opportunity to sign Atletico Madrid star Conor Gallagher, as speculation ramps up over a potential January switch to Old Trafford.

United picked up a vital three points after coming back to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 yesterday, leaving them just one point outside the top four, but Ruben Amorim still has one eye on the coming transfer window.

TEAMtalk has consistently reported that United are prioritising midfield additions and they plan to sign TWO in 2026, one in January and another next summer.

Gallagher, 25, has been heavily linked with a move to the Red Devils, who are buoyed by the fact that the Tottenham man is more likely to be signable this winter than their other targets.

This has been backed up by transfer journalist Pete O’Rourke, who has revealed the fee United would need to pay to sign the ex-Chelsea man, as well as the player’s stance on a return to the Premier League.

“It does seem that Atletico would be open to parting with Conor Gallagher in January if they did get a suitable fee,” O’Rourke told Football Insider.

“I think they will be looking around €30million, so around £26m to let Gallagher move on.

“He started the midweek [26 November] for Atletico against Inter in the Champions League in a rare start, but he’s not been a regular starter under Diego Simeone.

“I think for Gallagher himself, he might be open to considering a move away in January due to his ambitions of trying to break into Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad; he’s missed the last three squads that Tuchel’s named for England right now as well.

“He might be thinking he needs to move on in search of regular first-team football and to put himself back in the Premier League shop window for Tuchel, if he is to make a late bid for that World Cup squad to America next summer.

“But, I think Atletico turned down a few loan offers for Gallagher in the summer window, so they would obviously prefer a permanent sale in January, so that would allow them to bring in a potential replacement as well.”

READ MORE 🔴⚫ Adam Wharton passes Man Utd audition as Ruben Amorim plots mega-money raid on Crystal Palace

Conor Gallagher could be the stop-gap for Man Utd

United have some very ambitious midfield targets – more so than Gallagher – but the reality is the ones Amorim wants most are unlikely to be available in January.

As reported by TEAMtalk transfer insider Fraser Fletcher, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, and Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson top the shortlist.

But the trio will all command fees north of £70m, perhaps even as high as £100m, so their potential signings will likely have to wait until next summer.

Gallagher could, therefore, be brought in as a stop-gap, and his addition in January could allow Kobbie Mainoo to leave on loan, as he grows frustrated by his lack of playing time.

And the Atletico Madrid star may well be tempted by a switch to Old Trafford. Gallagher has started just three LaLiga games for Atletico Madrid this term, after falling down Simeone’s pecking order.

He could be considered by United in January. Also on the ‘stop-gap’ shortlist is Wolves star Joao Gomes, who, as TEAMtalk transfer correspondent Dean Jones exclusively revealed, is very keen to join United this winter.

Latest Man Utd news: Wharton ‘confidence’ / Semenyo ‘offer’

Meanwhile, reports suggest that United are ‘confident’ of winning the race for Palace star Wharton, amid rival interest from Liverpool and Chelsea.

The Red Devils are reportedly frontrunners, though, as mentioned, a transfer is far more likely next summer rather than in January, with Palace desperate to keep him until the end of this term.

In other news, a shock report claims United have presented a ‘contract offer’ to Antoine Semenyo, after holding a meeting with his representatives on Wednesday last week.

Liverpool are still considered frontrunners to sign the Bournemouth winger, but Amorim is a big admirer of his.

Get the inside story first by joining our TEAMtalk Facebook channel to receive the latest breaking and exclusive news straight into your Messenger inbox.