MANCHESTER UNITED rejected the chance to sign midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid on deadline day.
Gallagher, 25, was offered to United by the Spanish side but the club prioritised the late addition of goalkeeper Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp in an £18.2million deal.
United sources said the midfield was not a priority in their summer market as they have enough versatile options in Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo, Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount.
However, Man Utd are planning to reinforce their midfield next summer when Casemiro is set to be released at the end of his contract.
There is also ongoing uncertainty over Mainoo’s future after United blocked his request to leave on loan last month.
Fernandes and Mount are playmakers by trade while Ugarte lost his place in the starting line-up last season.
The Uruguay international, who arrived from Paris Saint-Germain for £50.75m last summer, has not started in a Premier League win for United since March.
Reports suggest Atletico have been rating Gallagher at £52m since last summer.
And the Red Devils could make a move to trigger that asking price during the January transfer window.
Atletico signed Gallagher from Chelsea for £33m last summer and he started in only 19 of their 38 LaLiga fixtures.
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He has made one start in their five league games this term and was substituted at half-time in the defeat to Espanyol.
Gallagher has been capped 22 times by England but he was not named in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the recent World Cup qualifying wins against Andorra and Serbia.
The former West Brom and Crystal Palace loanee is under contract at Atletico until 2029.
