Caicedo and Zaha react to Conor Gallagher’s ‘ready’ message amid Newcastle links
Moises Caicedo and Wilfried Zaha are among those that have reacted a new message from Conor Gallagher amid rumours linking him with a move to Newcastle this summer.
Gallagher now plies his trade with Atletico Madrid, but once emerged through Chelsea’s academy to make 95 appearances for their first team between 2022 and 2024.
Atletico signed Gallagher from the Blues for £34million [The Guardian] last summer after he was told he was not in Enzo Maresca’s plans, and the England international enjoyed a decent first season in Spain with 50 appearances made in all competitions.
He did only make 19 league starts though, and former scout Mick Brown told Football Insider on 10 July that Newcastle are interested in Gallagher amid uncertainty over whether he wants to stay with Atletico and battle for a spot in the starting eleven.
Football Insider revealed on 13 July that Aston Villa and Everton are also interested in Gallagher, and Diego Simeone’s side have placed a £50m price-tag on his head this summer, with Brown also recently revealing to Football Insider that Gallagher is open to a move back to the Premier League amid interest from those three sides.
Gallagher issues ‘ready’ message to Atletico Madrid fans
Gallagher remains an Atleti player for now, but rumours of him joining Newcastle are bound to ramp up after Sean Longstaff left St James’ Park to join Leeds United and with Joe Willock linked with a move away from Tyneside.
He looks to have been doing some individual training ahead of returning to pre-season with the Spanish giants, and took to Instagram on Saturday (19 July) to post a video of him working hard in the USA with a message to their supporters ahead of the new campaign that said: “Ready to get back to work. VAMOS!”
Gallagher’s upbeat message is seemingly not that of a player that is rushing for the exit door, and it was liked by former teammates Caicedo and Zaha, while Trevoh Chalobah and Tariq Lamptey both did the same.
Newcastle should sign Gallagher to bolster their midfield
Football Insider verdict
Gallagher seems like the perfect signing for a club like Newcastle, as he is homegrown, has a wealth of experience at club and international level, and still has time on his side at 25-years-old.
The box-to-box midfielder would also definitely suit Eddie Howe’s all-action, high pressing style of play, and it seems as if the Magpies are preparing to bring a player like him in based off their current transfer business and potential exits.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 95 | 10 | 10 |
With Longstaff now gone and Willock out-of-favour last term so potentially on his way out, the chance to join the Tyneside outfit is surely one that Gallagher will be open to this summer, especially if he is not set to be given ample game-time by Diego Simeone.
Newcastle are in a more appealing position than both Villa and Everton right now, with Champions League football to look forward to, while they need to start signing players amid Howe’s struggles to land his top targets over the last few weeks.
It certainly feels like changes are afoot in midfield at St James’ Park, and Gallagher would be a very shrewd capture as the Magpies look to progress on all fronts next season.