Man Utd ready to pay £53m to sign former Chelsea star

Manchester United are ready to pay £53 million to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher during the January transfer window, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.

The Red Devils were eager to land a new midfielder during the last transfer window. They made a late loan move for Gallagher, but Atletico did not entertain the proposal.

United are prepared to try again at the turn of the year. They are weighing up a permanent move this time around and could be willing to pay £53m to prise him away from Atletico.

Gallagher had good success during his time in the Premier League with Chelsea. He wore the captain's armband on many occasions and was a key player for the London side.

He eventually left them for Atletico due to a contract standoff and he could be tempted to return to the English top-flight to boost his chances of making the World Cup squad with England.

Gallagher has been limited to substitute appearances at Atletico in his second season and could be persuaded to join United with the guarantee of more playing time from the starting XI.