Palace’s late bid for Gallagher rebuffed by Atlético
Romano reveals Palace tried a late loan swoop
Crystal Palace pulled off plenty of hustle this summer, but Fabrizio Romano has exposed one move that never quite got off the ground: a late loan proposal to take Conor Gallagher back from Atlético Madrid. The deal was put on the table, but Atlético simply weren’t having it and declined to send the England midfielder out again.
What actually happened — and why it mattered
Palace have been busy replacing Eberechi Eze after his switch to Arsenal, bringing in the likes of Yeremi Pino and Christantus Uche to freshen the attack. Still, when it comes to midfield reinforcements they tried to rekindle old flames — Gallagher shone at Selhurst Park during his Chelsea loan and would have been a fan favourite return.
Atlético made it clear they had no intention of allowing Gallagher to depart on loan, so the approach was a non-starter. Romano also confirmed Manchester United had their loan enquiry knocked back, and Palace were told the same — a tidy bit of consistency from the Spanish club.
Money, minutes and motives
Let’s be honest: Gallagher is not an automatic starter for Diego Simeone, but he is a valuable squad option — and on a reported wage of about £200,000-a-week, Atlético are understandably cautious about tinkering with his situation mid-season. Getting a player of that profile out on loan late in the window was always going to be a tough sell.
Palace’s summer in review — a mixed bag
On paper, supporters might view the window as acceptable. They kept Marc Guehi for now, replaced Eze with fresh attacking talent and avoided immediate upheaval. But the underlying picture is messier: Palace were on the verge of selling Guehi to Liverpool — there was even a medical — before the club pulled the plug because they couldn’t secure a ready-made replacement.
The risk now is obvious. If Palace cannot move Guehi in January, they face the real prospect of losing him for nothing next summer when his contract expires. That’s a headache for the board and sporting director, not to mention a blow to long-term planning.
So what next?
If Palace remain keen on Gallagher, a January move would likely need to be permanent rather than a loan — Atlético have signalled they won’t be shipping him out temporarily. Whether Palace are willing to fork out a transfer fee and the accompanying salary is another matter. They may instead have to focus on shrewd recruitment and contract diplomacy to avoid the Guehi cliff-edge.
All things considered, the Eagles had a window of salvaging business but perhaps left too much to the last minute. Good additions were made, yet the Gallagher episode and the Guehi saga show how quickly a summer’s work can turn from neat to nervy.
If you fancy checking the latest odds on potential January moves and who might move where, have a look at betting sites uk — always good for a bit of transfer-window speculation while the clubs sort their affairs.
Sign up to the newsletter to keep tabs on transfer twists, or keep an eye on developments at the club as the winter window approaches — Palace fans will be hoping the board have their wits about them.
