Newcastle United were well beaten by Atletico Madrid at St James’ Park on Saturday, but fans may have had their eye on one player after recent transfer links.
It should have been a memorable day for the Magpies, who were defending the Sela Cup after winning it the two previous years. Unfortunately, Eddie Howe’s side put in a lacklustre second-half performance against an Atletico Madrid side who were a cut above a Newcastle United squad which was missing some of their key players.
Newcastle’s loss to Atletico Madrid means they failed to win a single game throughout pre-season – a worrying statistic ahead of an important 2025/26 campaign.
Friday also saw a Newcastle side play Espanyol at St James’ Park, with a late goal from former Middlesbrough man Kike Garcia confirming that the game ended 2-2. Fans got a glimpse of new signings like Aaron Ramsdale, Anthony Elanga and Seung-soo Park over the two games, with the latter impressing in particular.
The Atletico game was a great opportunity to see world-class players like Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann in action in the North East, but Newcastle’s scouts may have had an eye on one player who was recently linked with a move this summer.
Conor Gallagher during a pre-season game between Newcastle United and Atletico Madrid.
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Conor Gallagher impresses during Atletico Madrid’s win vs Newcastle United
Atletico midfielder Conor Gallagher made a surprise move to Spain last summer, having fallen out of favour at Chelsea. The England international did well in his first season in La Liga, registering six goal involvements, but reports from Spain suggest he could now be heading back to his home country.
Newcastle sold Sean Longstaff to Leeds United for £15million last month, and are still looking for his replacement in the middle of the park. According to reports from Spain in July, Newcastle are interested in signing Gallagher as Longstaff’s replacement.
The 25-year-old, who joined Atletico for £34million last summer, is on the Magpies’ radar over a move this summer. Gallagher could cost as little as £36million, with Atletico reportedly keen to let him go after just 12 months in Spain.
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Upon hearing the news, Newcastle fans were very keen on signing Gallagher, due to his creative prowess. Unbenown to him, Gallagher may have just taken part in his St James’ Park audition if a move does come to fruition.
Gallagher has played at St James’ Park before, but it was a completely different feel when he arrived at the ground with Atletico on Saturday.
Conor Gallagher’s performance vs Newcastle United by numbers
Gallagher might not have ended up in Spain if not been for Newcastle star Kieran Trippier. In 2024, reports revealed that Trippier convinced Gallagher to sign for Atletico, telling him about how much he enjoyed his time there.
Trippier was seen embracing manager Diego Simeone and Atletico players like Koke at full-time in what was surely a nice reunion with former teammates for the 34-year-old.
Statistics vs Newcastle United Conor Gallagher
Minutes 61
Passes completed 29/34 (85%)
Defensive actions 5
Chances created 1
Times fouled 2
Newcastle could really do with a quality midfielder like Gallagher, but it is hard to see him accepting a move to the North East if he is not given assurances that he will be a regular starter.
The future of Gallagher remains to be seen, but there is no doubt he would immediately improve Newcastle’s midfield.