Manchester United are reportedly prepared to offer a massive sum of €80 million in order to sign Saul Niguez from Atletico Madrid in the summer transfer window.
According to a report from Spanish publication El Gol Digital, Premier League bigwigs Manchester United are plotting a summer raid on La Liga champions Atletico Madrid for the transfer of midfielder Saul Niguez. The Red Devils are willing to offer as much as €80 million to secure the signing of the 26-year-old.
Saul is a product of the Atletico Madrid youth academy and has been on the club’s books since 2008. The midfielder made his first-team debut for Los Colchoneros way back in 2012 as a 17-year-old and following a loan spell with Rayo Vallecano in 2013/14, became a regular in the side under Diego Simeone. Till date, Saul has amassed 337 appearances for Atleti, scoring 43 goals and setting up 19 more.
However, this past season saw Saul’s importance in the Atletico side somewhat diminish as he was not at his best level. Indeed, the Spanish international started just 22 league games as Simeone & co. went on to lift the La Liga title on the final day of the season in dramatic fashion. But his stock continues to be high in the footballing community as is being indicated by the interest he is courting from Manchester United and Barcelona.
Manchester United, though, seem like stepping up their interest in the 26-year-old Spaniard as manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has identified the midfield department as an area that needs strengthening. Heading into the new season, the Red Devils have Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay, Fred, Nemanja Matic and Donny van de Beek as their options in the centre of the park.
However, the move to sign Van de Beek hasn’t paid off as expected, with the Dutchman being one of the worst new signings of the season gone by. In addition, Matic is entering the final phase of his career while Pogba’s future is still uncertain given as he is entering the final year of his contract. With McTominay or Fred not exactly known for their forward play, Solskjaer, as per the report, is keen on addressing the issue with the addition of Saul.
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To that end, Manchester United are ready to launch a massive €80 million bid for the Spanish international, who is contracted with Atletico Madrid till the summer of 2026 and has a release clause worth €150 million. In addition to the 20-time English champions, Italian giants Juventus are also intent on signing Saul and are prepared to offer a similar sum as well.
Given the interest that he is generating and the transfer fee he is likely to command, Atletico Madrid may very well decide to cash in on Saul, even though it is believed that the coaching staff want him to continue at the Wanda Metropolitano. It now remains to be seen whether Manchester United do act on their reported interest in the 26-year-old or look at alternatives such as Youri Tielemans of Leicester City.
