Pundit Paul Parker has urged Manchester United to sign former Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher next year. Parker believes Gallagher would be a good fit for the Red Devils, highlighting the player’s willingness to play regularly and his impressive injury-free record.
Manchester United were one of the busiest teams during the summer transfer window but notably did not add a defensive midfielder to their squad. The club was reportedly linked with a move for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba to strengthen the No. 6 position, but nothing materialized as the Seagulls were unwilling to part ways with their key player.
During an interview with UtdDistrict, Parker was asked who Manchester United should sign in 2026. He replied:
“No, to be honest, at this moment, I’m not greedy. I think you can’t rush it; you can’t just go and get a big clump of players. If you’re looking to take it forward slowly, and you want to do something, you have to have something in the back end that you look to build on. You look to build on with that person coming in on loan, or you see you get someone on loan who does well, you get that calibre of player to come in, get it cemented in, then Connor is the one.”
“He’s the one player I think they need. One player who plays a lot of football, doesn’t get injured often, and is willing to play. I’ve watched him many times when he was at Palace and when he was at Chelsea, and every time you see him grimacing, the lad just wants to play games of football.”
“If he doesn’t play, it’s for a good reason. Even if he’s had a knock, he wants to play football. And I know that if he comes to Manchester United, that would be the cherry on the top.”
Conor Gallagher came through the ranks at Chelsea, progressing through various youth levels before being promoted to the senior team in 2022. He left Chelsea in the summer of 2024 to join Atletico Madrid.
### Conor Gallagher Open to Joining Manchester United on Loan
According to transfer expert Graeme Bailey, Gallagher is open to joining Manchester United on loan in January after struggling for regular minutes at Atletico Madrid. Bailey claims the midfielder is ‘frustrated’ in the Spanish capital due to his lack of call-ups to the England national team.
“Gallagher has become increasingly frustrated at Atletico,” Bailey told *United in Focus*. “He is settled in the Spanish capital but firmly believes he could and should be in contention for England. That is not going to happen without playing.”
“Gallagher is aware of the interest, and I’m told that United is an appealing option to him. United are aware that other clubs are showing interest, and they will have a decision to make in the coming weeks ahead of the January window.”
Despite being pleased with their recent form, Manchester United’s internal belief is that additional holding midfield options are required, and Gallagher could very well offer that.
Although Gallagher has featured in every game for Atletico this season, he has mostly come off the bench. Throughout his time with the Chelsea senior team, Gallagher made 95 appearances, scoring 10 goals and providing 10 assists.
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*Edited by Ezekiel Olamide*
https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/news-he-s-one-player-i-think-need-pundit-asks-manchester-united-sign-ex-chelsea-star