Where Conor Gallagher would rank among Everton’s highest earners as loan update shared
Everton are in the market for a new central midfielder, and Atletico Madrid superstar Conor Gallagher is one option on their radar.
The Englishman left Chelsea to join the Spanish giants in 2024, but could return to England in an attempt to force his way into Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad.
Everton have shown an interest in Gallagher, although Atletico’s £52million asking price essentially priced the Toffees out of a deal.
Instead, Everton are eyeing a loan deal for Gallagher, and they’re joined by the likes of Manchester United and West Ham in admiring the 25-year-old.
Where Conor Gallagher’s wage ranks him in Everton squad
Goodison News revealed that Everton would have to destroy their wage structure to sign Gallagher in January, and it appears The Friedkin Group will need to weigh up the pros and cons of this deal.
Admittedly, the former Crystal Palace loanee would be a shrewd addition to their engine room, but his sky-high wages could be a stumbling block in negotiations.
| Everton’s highest weekly earners |
| Jack Grealish – £250,000 |
| Jordan Pickford – £150,000 |
| Jarrad Branthwaite – £120,000 |
| James Tarkowski – £120,000 |
| Idrissa Gueye – £120,000 |
According to Capology, only Manchester City loanee Jack Grealish is earning more than Gallagher’s £152,000-per-week in Madrid.
Of course, this is only a rough estimate, but if the Toffees are required to pay his full wages for six months, they’re looking at millions.
Everton are already paying half of Grealish’s wage, and there are talks of Moyes snapping the 30-year-old up on a permanent deal in the summer.
- Read More: Conor Gallagher has already hailed ‘top’ Everton player as David Moyes eyes January transfer
Gallagher would prefer a switch to England
To give himself the best chance of making England’s World Cup squad in 2026, Gallagher needs to be playing regularly, something he isn’t offered at Atletico.
Gallagher has only started four of his 17 matches in the league, and according to La Liga expert Terry Gibson, Diego Simeone has preferred the veteran Koke in midfield.
“Atletico have a fantastic squad, arguably the biggest, strongest squad in La Liga, and he’s suffered because of that. And when he plays, he never lets them down,” Gibson told the Manchester Evening News.
“Koke has been playing ahead of him. Koke has his attributes; he’s played 700 games, at the weekend, for Atletico Madrid. And Simeone just can’t let go of him. So it’s a security blanket for Simeone.
“Koke has been a wonderful player, but Conor Gallagher does offer a little bit more, now.”
TEAMtalk have also revealed that Gallagher would prefer a switch to England in January, purely for his ambitions of returning to international reckoning.
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