Man Utd will reportedly battle it out with Real Madrid, Man City and Paris Saint-Germain for the signing of Saul Niguez from Atletico Madrid next summer.
The 23-year-old has established himself as a fundamental figure for Diego Simeone’s side, making 206 appearances for the club while also making a breakthrough for Spain.
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Having made 48 or more appearances in the last three seasons in all competitions, it’s evident that Simeone values him highly and so Atleti will undoubtedly be desperate to avoid losing him.
However, that resolve could be irrelevant next summer as OK Diario, as re-reported by The Express, claim that Man Utd, Real Madrid, Man City and PSG are all interested in the Spanish international and the Red Devils along with their rivals are perhaps willing to pay his €150m release clause.
That is a lot of money for one player, but given the quality that Saul has displayed consistently over the past three years coupled with the fact that at 23 he still has his entire career ahead of him, it could be argued that as a long-term investment, it’s a smart one.
Nevertheless, time will tell if any of the clubs mentioned above lodge an official bid to activate that release clause, which in turn could leave Atletico helpless and hoping that the player himself opts to reject an exit and stay at the Wanda Metropolitano.
The midfield has been an issue for United and with Paul Pogba suggesting that he isn’t entirely happy at Old Trafford, as per The Guardian, then perhaps reinforcements will be needed in that department next summer.
PSG face the threat of losing Adrien Rabiot with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, while Fernandinho will turn 34 next year and surely can’t continue to carry such a heavy workload from Pep Guardiola.
That in turn makes a swoop for Saul sensible, with Real Madrid also perhaps needing to consider bolstering their midfield options with doubts over Mateo Kovacic when he returns from his loan spell at Chelsea.
Selling to their bitter rivals doesn’t seem likely, but if the release clause is exercised, it may not matter.