Manchester United rejected chance to sign £52m-rated midfielder on deadline day as they prioritized deal for Senne Lammens instead: Reports

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Manchester United reportedly rejected the opportunity to sign Conor Gallagher on deadline day in the summer transfer window. They chose to bring in goalkeeper Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp for a reported fee of £18.2 million.

As per The Sun, Atletico Madrid had offered Gallagher to Manchester United in the summer. However, the Red Devils didn't see a midfielder as a priority. They already have Casemiro, Mason Mount, Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, and Manuel Ugarte. Hence, they chose to reject the offer to sign Gallagher.

The Englishman came through Chelsea's academy and made 95 senior appearances for them, recording 10 goals and 10 assists. He then joined Atletico Madrid last summer for £38 million. His contract expires in 2029, and the Spanish side rated him at around £52 million

As per the aforementioned source, United could look to sign a midfielder next summer, with Casemiro's contract expiring. Moreover, Mainoo's future at the club is also under speculation. They were heavily linked with Carlos Baleba in the summer, but a move didn't materialize.

Manchester United signed Senne Lammens, who has yet to make his debut. The 23-year-old kept 12 clean sheets in 64 games for Royal Antwerp.


Paul Scholes questioned Manchester United's decision to not sign a midfielder in the summer

The Red Devils signed the likes of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in the summer to elevate their attack. However, they didn't invest in midfield, and that has arguably been a weak point in their games so far this season.

Earlier this month, Manchester United legend Paul Scholes questioned the decision to sign Cunha or Mbeumo over a midfielder. He said:

“I think a lot of good teams have the midfield sorted… There’s too much indecision in the midfield area, you think of Casemiro – he’s been a brilliant player, but we know his deficiencies, don’t we?" “Fernandes (and Casemiro), they’re the two he’s going with, and Fernandes for me, he’s someone who fills in as a midfielder – he might get away with it for one, two or three games. He’s not got the discipline to be a central midfield player.”

He added:

“Bringing two numbers tens (Cunha and Mbeumo) was that really necessary? You think you’ve got Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo can do that… If you’ve done that and wasted a bit of money and not been able to get a midfield player or a goalkeeper, it’s not great recruitment-wise is it?"

Manchester United have won just two of their six games across competitions this season. They beat Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford in the Premier League last weekend as both sides were reduced to 10 men.

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Aditya Singh

Aditya has been working as a European football journalist and editor for Sportskeeda for close to 4 years. He boasts a total experience of over 7 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.

A B.Tech. graduate, Aditya's journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur's front foot and creative football since 2008 and connect's with the club's underdog status.

Aditya, who is a Sportskeeda 'Long-form Editor of the Month' award winner, is a big admirer of Luka Modric's elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because the Italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.

Aditya feels Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala could replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.

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