Manchester United were linked with a move for Conor Gallagher before Tottenham completed a deal to sign the English midfielder in January.
Although there were several players rumoured to have been of interest to Manchester United in January, the club opted not to sign any new players and wait until the summer to invest further in the squad.
United fans would have argued that a midfield addition was needed, even as cover for Casemiro until the end of the season, but Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte remained, as the board’s preference was to wait until the end of the season to make adjustments.
Now, as we approach the summer transfer window, the midfield department is set to take priority in the same way United made improvements in attack last year. It became more important from the minute Casemiro announced he was leaving Old Trafford ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
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Tottenham team huddle.
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Conor Gallagher in disbelief against Crystal Palace as Tottenham lose
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Man Utd won’t regret passing on Conor Gallagher transfer
After becoming impatient over his lack of game time at Atletico Madrid, former Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher was offered around the market to potential suitors ahead of the January transfer window.
United were linked with Gallagher, but the reported interest never materialised, which opened the door for Tottenham to sign the England international for a fee of £34 million.
Gallagher may have pocketed a £200k-a-week salary at Tottenham, but he has not had the greatest of starts to life at his new club.
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Tottenham find themselves in a relegation dog fight with nine games left to play in the Premier League. They have not won in 11 Premier League games, losing the last five, but not all of that is Gallagher’s fault.
Igor Tudor was recently made temporary manager, and there are already whispers that there could be another change in the dugout before the end of the season unless results improve.
None of this will help players like Gallagher settle at the club, but more is expected from the England international given the experience he has, especially in the English top flight.
It’s damning that Tottenham have won just two matches since signing Gallagher, although he was ineligible for both matches as they were against Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.
Gallagher is not getting the same criticism that he would have had if he had joined United in January and played so poorly, which isn’t a surprise because Tottenham sell less newspapers.
The pressure players receive at United cannot be matched anywhere in the football world, with the exception of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
I haven’t looked at Gallagher once since he joined Tottenham and thought, ‘United have missed out’ because they haven’t. That money will be better spent in the summer on a primary midfield target.
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Elliot Anderson knee slide for Nottingham Forest.
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How did Conor Gallagher perform against Man Utd in February?
Gallagher started when United beat Tottenham 2-0 at Old Trafford earlier this year.
The 26-year-old was given the licence to push forward, but he missed a good effort in the first half after being set up by Xavi Simmons.
Spurs were asked to do more defending in the second half, which led to Thomas Frank taking Gallagher off.
Gallagher will hope Tottenham’s fixture list includes United next season and not a bunch of Championship teams. It could be a nervy end to the season for the north London outfit.
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