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Man Utd's late loan bid for Conor Gallagher rejected by Atletico

Published 8 September 2025

Manchester United made a last‑minute attempt to sign England midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid on the final day of the summer transfer window but saw their loan approach rejected, transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed. The late bid came as United searched for midfield reinforcements after failing to land Brighton's Carlos Baleba, and Atletico declined to allow the 25‑year‑old to leave on a temporary basis.

Romano said the Old Trafford club explored a loan deal in the closing 48 hours of the window, only to be told by Atletico that a temporary move was not on the table. He added that a similar loan request from Gallagher's former club was also rebuffed earlier in the window. Romano quoted Atletico's response as effectively ruling out a surprise late departure.

Gallagher moved to Madrid from Chelsea last summer and has been part of Diego Simeone's squad this season, but his playing time has been limited. He featured in Atletico's first three La Liga matches, making mostly brief appearances and logging roughly 85 minutes, including one start. That lack of regular minutes is believed to have encouraged Premier League interest, with clubs viewing him as a player...

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