Despite football – like most of the world’s major sports, being brought to a halt due to the Coronavirus pandemic, transfer rumours are still dominating the back pages and here’s the latest on the Manchester United front…
Saul Niguez
According to Mundo Deportivo, both United and cross-town rivals Manchester City have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Atletico Madrid maestro Saul Niguez.
It’s claimed that Spanish giants Barcelona won’t match any offers made for the 25-year-old, owing to an agreement between the Blaugrana and Atletico.
Mundo Deportivo claim that Saul’s release clause stands at a massive €150m (£130m), as much as the pandemic may have an impact on transfer fees – it’s hard to see why Atleti would accept anything less for such a fine player.
The uncertainty regarding Paul Pogba’s future (more on that below) could suggest that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side need to bolster their midfield in the next transfer window.
Paul Pogba
According to Italian outlet Calciomercato via French reports, Paris Saint-Germain have surprisingly offered United Angel Di Maria and Julian Draxler in a bid to bring Pogba back to his home city.
The Daily Star reported earlier that Pogba’s contract with the Red Devils expires in 2021 and that United have rejected the opportunity to trigger an option that would extend this deal by a further year.
Considering Di Maria’s fairly troubled one-year spell with United in 2014/15 – it’s really hard to believe that the Argentine playmaker is being linked with a return to Manchester.
On the other hand, Draxler could be a fine addition to Man United’s squad. The 26-year-old has failed to live up to expectations since moving to Paris but has plenty of years to prove the doubters wrong.
Given Bruno Fernandes’ sensational start to life at Old Trafford, it’s not surprising to see that there’s even more uncertainty surrounding Pogba’s future.
Should United part ways with Pogba if it lands them a player like Draxler, or even if it leads to the signing of a top class player like Saul Niguez?