On December 24, 2025, Dean Jones reported that Manchester United discovered Pablo Barrios while watching Conor Gallagher for Atletico. According to Jones, Barrios remains at Atletico and is a player who has been praised at a few clubs, with Manchester United being one of them. Manchester United have shown interest in the Atletico Madrid midfielder.

Atletico Madrid offered Manchester United a deal to receive Pablo Barrios and €40m (£33m/$42.2m) in exchange for Alejandro Garnacho. However, United will not let Garnacho go, and the only club he’d like to leave for is Real Madrid.