“I want to play…”: England international responds to Manchester United transfer rumours

England's Marc Guehi, Conor Gallagher, Ollie Watkins and Phil Foden. (Reuters/Jason Cairnduff)

Manchester United were left frustrated on Thursday as they were held to a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford by struggling West Ham.

Diogo Dalot opened the scoring for the hosts, but Soungoutou Magassa’s late equaliser ensured the spoils were shared.

The result leaves the Red Devils eighth in the Premier League, just two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, highlighting the importance of a strong January window if Ruben Amorim’s side are to secure Champions League qualification next season.

Amid that context, one player has hinted he could be open to a move away from his current club.

Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher has addressed speculation linking him with a return to the Premier League, including interest from Manchester United.

The 25-year-old has struggled for consistent minutes in Spain, starting just three La Liga games this season, and several clubs—including Tottenham, Newcastle, and Everton—are reportedly monitoring his situation ahead of the winter transfer window.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently suggested that “maybe something around €30m (£26m)” could be enough to secure Gallagher’s signature.

Since joining Atletico for £34 million in the summer of 2024 from Chelsea, Gallagher has made 69 appearances and scored six goals for the La Liga side.

Despite the speculation, Gallagher insisted he is content at Atletico, while also emphasising his desire to play regularly.

“I’m happy, but obviously I want to play as much as possible,” he said, according to Tribal Football. “Every footballer would like to be on the pitch for 90 minutes every single game. Obviously, I’m at a world-class club and there’s a lot of amazing players. The most important thing is how the team plays and the results we get. At the moment, it’s going really well for us.”

Gallagher’s Premier League pedigree is well established, and with Casemiro potentially set to leave Manchester United at the end of his contract, the England international could be a key addition to ten Amorim’s midfield if a deal materialises in January.

Barnaby Lane is a highly experienced sports writer who has written for The Times, FourFourTwo Magazine, Sports Illustrated, TalkSPORT, and Business Insider.

Over the years, he's had the pleasure of interviewing some of the biggest names in world sport, including Usain Bolt, Rafael Nadal, Christian Pulisic, and more.