"He’s the one player I think they need" - Pundit asks Manchester United to sign ex-Chelsea star

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, citing the player’s willingness and injury-free record.

Manchester United were one of the busiest teams in the summer, but none of their new signings included a defensive midfielder. They were reportedly linked with a move for Brighton and Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba to strengthen the No. 6 position, but nothing materialized as the Seagulls refused to part ways with the player.

During an interview with UtdDistrict, Parker was asked who Manchester United should sign in 2026, to which 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 a times when he was at Palace and when he was at Chelsea and every time you see him grimacing, the lad wants to play games of football. “If he doesn’t play, it’s 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.”

Callagher came through the ranks at Chelsea, playing across different youth levels at the west London club before being promoted to the senior team in 2022. He left Chelsea in the summer of 2024 for Atletico Madrid.

Journalist says Chelsea academy graduate Conor Callagher open to join Manchester United on loan in January

According to transfer expert Graeme Bailey, Conor 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’ at the Spanish capital due to not getting called up in the England national team.

“Gallagher has become increasingly frustrated at Atletico,” Bailey told United in Focus. “He is settled in the Spanish capital but he 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 an interest, and they will have a decision to make in the coming weeks ahead of the January window. Despite being pleased with their form in recent weeks, belief within the club is that additional holding midfield options are required and Gallagher could very well offer that.”

Callagher has featured in every game for Atletico this season. However, he has mostly played as a substitute. Throughout his time with Chelsea senior team, Callagher made 95 appearances, scoring 10 goals and providing 10 assists.

Edited by Ezekiel Olamide