United target addresses January exit rumours, he is “not satisfied” with role at current club

Manchester United’s need for a new midfielder is no secret, and it is entirely possible that the club will move for one in January. The Red Devils are linked with a marquee move for a young Premier League talent such as Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton or Elliot Anderson but a player from that category is likely to arrive in the summer. Gallagher a January option Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher has emerged as an option for a January switch, and reports last week claimed that the player himself is keen on the move. And in an interview with Spanish outlet AS the former Chelsea man has admitted that he is “not satisfied” with his game time in Madrid. The 25-year-old has featured in every game for the club this season but has only racked up 339 minutes in 12 league appearances. He has only played more than 45 minutes once, and only started twice. Wants more minutes When asked if he was satisfied with the season so far on a personal level, Gallagher said: “No, no, of course not. I’m not satisfied. “I don’t think anyone is if they don’t play as much as they’d like to, but I’ll keep working very hard so that every time I get the chance, I can help the team, and hopefully more opportunities to start will come my way.” He also hinted at some frustration in terms of being able to reach his highest level, especially with the World Cup coming up next summer. He said: “Sometimes it’s difficult to come on for a few minutes and show everything I can do. “But, as I said, the most important thing is to do my best for the manager and the team, and that’s what I’m trying to do right now.” “Happy” in Madrid The outlet pressed him on reports from England linking him with a January switch, asking if he is considering the possibility of leaving. Gallagher did not give a firm “no”, but neither did he indicate a burning desire to leave the club – although players rarely do that in public. He answered diplomatically: “I’m very happy here. My goal is to win titles with Atleti, and I want to play a more important role in the team. “And, as I said, I’m going to keep working as hard as I can to get more playing time and help the team.” Later in the interview he was clear that he is “very settled” in Madrid, adding that “my girlfriend and I love living here. It’s an incredible city and we’re very happy.” Nevertheless, should United come calling and offering him more game time in an exciting side finding its footing under Ruben Amorim, there is every Gallagher might make the move back to the Premier League. Featured image Aitor Alcade via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Joe Ponting Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried. He cut his teeth working in print media for local newspapers and entered football journalism covering the grassroots game for the Non-League Paper. Here he achieved a career high, interviewing United legend Sir Bobby Charlton to get his views on the lower echelons of the football pyramid. To kill time during international breaks Joe writes album reviews and has strong views on post punk for Plus One Magazine.