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Aston Villa open talks to sign Man Utd's top January target
Tom Weber
- Updated: 9 Jan 2026 15:55 GMT
- 4 min read
News
Aston Villa are exploring a move for Manchester United target Conor Gallagher, who is keen to leave Atletico Madrid.
The 25-year-old has endured a frustrating time in the Spanish capital since joining from Chelsea in a bizarre swap transfer for Joao Felix in 2024. Although Gallagher arrived to incredible fanfare, he has not managed to nail down a guaranteed starting spot at Atletico Madrid.
It was already clear to him in the summer that he might struggle this season, so it was no surprise to see transfer speculation emerge late in the window. Man Utd and his former club Crystal Palace both eyed a move, but Atleti rebuffed all approaches.
Current ETV
Conor Gallagher
M (CL), DM (C)
Atlético
Conor Gallagher
M (CL), DM (C)
Atlético
ETV Range
€36.6M - €44.8M
Since then, Gallagher has repeatedly admitted that he is unhappy with his lack of action as a starter, although he has made sure to acknowledge that he is generally enjoying life in Spain.
However, with a World Cup spot at stake, he is keenly aware that he will have to leave the Madrid giants this month. Man Utd have once again been heavily linked as Gallagher is their most viable January target, but Aston Villa are now keen to beat the Red Devils to the punch.
Aston Villa open Gallagher talks
According to talkSPORT, Unai Emery is a long-standing admirer of Gallagher and wants to bring him to Villa Park this month. The Birmingham outfit have now officially begun exploring a transfer for the 25-year-old.
Talks are centred around a potential loan move with an obligation to purchase the midfielder, as Atleti are still resisting any straight loan offers or proposals with a buy option.
It was previously suggested that Man Utd and other suitors may have to wait until the end of the month to get Atleti to agree to a temporary exit. Including an easy-to-trigger obligation could speed up the process.
However, it is worth mentioning that Villa's actions regarding Harvey Elliott could make Atleti cautious. Villa have to make the 22-year-old's stay permanent if he plays 10 games, but he hasn't featured for months, and Emery has revealed that he wants to send him back to Liverpool.
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