‘Unconvincing’ £50m midfielder emerges as Man Utd’s Baleba

Manchester United reportedly still have interest in completing a deal for a La Liga midfielder following a failed summer approach.

The Red Devils’ engine room has been overrun during the embryonic stages of the 2025-26 season, including in Saturday’s disheartening 3-1 loss to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Under-fire head coach Ruben Amorim continues to persist with Bruno Fernandes in a deeper role alongside either Manuel Ugarte or Casemiro, while Kobbie Mainoo remains out in the cold.

The Portuguese’s use of Fernandes in the bank of four has been heavily lambasted, as the consensus is that he is failing to make the most of his captain’s creative talents while also stunting Mainoo’s development.

The latter reportedly asked to leave on loan during the summer transfer window, but Man United blocked a temporary exit for Mainoo, who has been told that he still has an important role to play in Amorim’s team.

Man United to launch ‘surprise’ Conor Gallagher move?

However, The Express reports that the Red Devils are still pursuing a move for Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher, whom they tried to lure away from the Wanda Metropolitano in the summer transfer window just gone.

Gallagher has apparently been earmarked as Man United’s ‘Plan B’ in case a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba – who is valued at around £110m by the Seagulls – fails to materialise.

While Baleba is seen as the perfect fit to replace Casemiro – who is expected to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season – the Man United hierarchy supposedly feel that Gallagher would also be an ideal successor to the former Real Madrid man.

Gallagher has come up with five goals and six assists in 58 appearances for Atletico since joining in a £36m deal from Chelsea last summer, but Rojiblancos head coach Diego Simeone is allegedly ‘not convinced’ by the England international’s qualities.

Gallagher has started just two of Atletico’s seven La Liga games in the 2025-26 season, while he was substituted in the 45th, 61st and 79th minute of the three matches he has started in all tournaments this season.

How much would Man United have to pay for Gallagher?

Even though Gallagher may soon be deemed surplus to requirements in the Spanish capital, Atletico apparently still intend to make a profit on the ex-Chelsea man if they decide to sell in January or the summer.

Rojiblancos president Enrique Cerezo is understood to have slapped a £50m price tag on the head of the 25-year-old, whose contract with Atletico does not expire for another four seasons.

On Gallagher’s end, the midfielder is supposedly concerned that his bit-part role at Atletico could jeopardise his chances of a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the 2026 World Cup, offering hope of a January move.

However, the report adds that Champions League football could be a key factor in deciding Gallagher’s future, potentially leaving Man United at risk of a hijack from a club competing in Europe’s top competition this winter.

The midfielder previously made 136 Premier League appearances during his time with Chelsea, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion, representing the latter two clubs on loan.

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