Manchester United are reportedly willing to pay €80 million to secure the services of Saul Niguez, who is viewed as a potential replacement for Paul Pogba.
According to a report by Spanish publication AS, Manchester United are ready to cough up €80 million to sign Saul Niguez in the summer transfer window. The Spanish international, who is seen as a possible replacement for Paul Pogba, has a €150 million release clause in his Atletico Madrid contract.
Saul Niguez has become one of the brightest midfielders in the world since establishing himself as a regular in the first-team setup at Atletico Madrid over half-a-decade ago. Now a mainstay in midfield for the Colchoneros, the 25-year-old Spaniard is a key figure for both club and country.
This season, Saul has played every single game for Atletico Madrid when available, playing a variety of roles in Diego Simeone’s side and even chipping in with four goals. His status of being one of the best in La Liga has been duly noted, particularly in the Premier League, where he has a bevy of admirers, including Manchester United.
Midfield has surprisingly been one of the strong suits for Manchester United this season, with the resurgent Fred and the impressively developing Scott McTominay providing stability in the middle of the park. Couple that with the renaissance that Nemanja Matic is enjoying and the absence of Paul Pogba, who has been out injured for much of the campaign, has barely been felt.
On top of that, Bruno Fernandes has made quite a splash since joining from Sporting Lisbon in the January transfer window. However, Manchester United could be forced into the transfer market to add a genuinely world class midfielder to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad this summer.
Pogba, despite being absent for large parts of the season, remains a key figure for the Red Devils. That the Frenchman could depart Old Trafford in the summer means Manchester United need to keep their options open, thereby making Saul a viable target.
Capable of playing all across midfield, Saul could fit in seamlessly in the Manchester United while also being an emergency option as a left wing-back or left-back, a role he has essayed this term. To that end, it has been reported that Manchester United fancy their chances of snapping the Spanish international up.
The Premier League heavyweights, though, are not ready to match the €150 million release clause in the player’s contract at Atletico Madrid. Instead, Manchester United are only prepared to shell out around €80 million to land Saul.
This offer might be a potential stumbling block, considering Saul still have over six years left in his deal with Atletico Madrid, where Simeone considers him as an indispensable figure. In such a scenario, it will be interesting to see if Los Rojiblancos are even open to selling the 25-year-old.
If they are even ready to listen to offers for Saul, getting the La Liga giants to accept the €80 million offer might be a big ask, especially when Atleti are hoping to offer Saul improved terms. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if Manchester United can complete a move for Saul in the summer with their offer, or if they are forced to pay €150 million instead.
