Manchester United are reportedly preparing a monumental £54m bid for Atletico Madrid's Saul Niguez, according to the Daily Mail. Saul, only 21-years-old, is one of Europe's most talented young players. The midfielder has been a regular in Atleti's first team for two years now, ut it was his mesmerizing performance against Bayern Munich in the Champions League which caught the attention of the footballing world.
Seeing as United already missed out on a young prospect in Renato Sanches, a successful move for Saul would certainly provide them with some compensation. Saul recently signed a new five-year deal, drastically increasing his wages to £80,000-per-week. Unfortunately for the Red Devils, this new contract also bumped up the inserted release clause from £34m to £54m.
Call for Saul: Niguez on Mourinho wanted list as @ManUtd line up £50m deal https://t.co/fYryc6SLa3 via @MailSport with @petejenson
Interestingly, Jose Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes owns Niguez's image rights, something that may encourage United fans. Nevertheless, any formal bid for the Spain international would have to be put on hold until Mourinho and United chief executive Ed Woodward agree on a contract as well as a list a transfer targets. The Portuguese manager has seen talks stall because of complications with his own image rights.
The Mail also report strong interest on the part of United, in Roma defender Kostas Manolas. The 20 time Premier League champions will face stiff competition for Manolas' signature with London clubs Chelsea and Arsenal also displaying interest. Manolas made 48 appearances for Roma, largely impressing at the heart of the defence (WhoScored). Unlike the current United centre-back Daily Blind, Manolas is well built and relatively quick.
Manchester United are in dire need of reinforcements if the club is to challenge for the title next season. Under ex-boss Louis van Gaal, fans endured dull, unimaginative football. To make matters worse, the results were not up to standards either. United crashed out of the Champions League in the group stages before failing to qualify for the competition.