Manchester United 'Only' Club Interested In Signing Wantaway Atletico Madrid Star: Report

Manchester United could be the lone club pursuing one of La Liga’s top midfielders.

Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez hasn’t been having a great season in Spain and wants to leave the La Liga side. Apparently, the 26-year-old has fallen out of Diego Simeone’s pecking order and is waiting for an approach from another club, Spanish publication El Larguero reported (via Cadena Ser).

What’s even more interesting is that “only” English Premier League club Manchester United is interested in signing Niguez at the moment, according to Spanish outlet La Razon.

A firm offer from the Red Devils has yet to come, but the report stated that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side would be prepared to offer around £43 million ($60 million) to complete the move of Niguez to Old Trafford at the end of the season.

The outlet further noted that the well-rounded midfield star has a release clause of €150 million ($179 million) in his current contract with Atletico Madrid. However, it is believed that Manchester United will not attempt to match the said figure.

The left-footed midfielder has been efficient on the defensive end and can also function well in the central midfield. However, Atletico manager Simeone figured he didn’t need much of Niguez’s contribution, having trimmed down the player’s starts to 14 out of 22 in the current campaign compared to his 35 out 35 last season.

The report added that Niguez has lost the support of the team, and the situation is becoming worse as the season progresses. Atletico, meanwhile, is now considering signing Napoli star Fabian Ruiz as Niguez’s replacement, per reports.

Niguez’s current deal with Atletico is set to expire in 2026, but the report said he is yearning to depart Simeone’s squad as soon as possible.

It can be recalled that Atleti was eliminated by Chelsea in this year’s UEFA Champions League. Following the devastating elimination, recent reports stated that the club is planning to overhaul the squad despite being able to prove that the current roster can compete for the La Liga title this season.

Simeone, on the other hand, has yet to comment on any transfer talks involving his team. Instead, the Atleti boss admitted that the truth is his team needs to continue “improving.”

"It has been a tough campaign, let’s not forget our trips to Russia and Germany, it has been really tough," Simeone told reporters following their Champions League elimination. "The reality is we need to keep improving, we have a promising future ahead of us."