Manchester United are set to activate the £54 million release clause in Saul Niguez’s contract at Atletico Madrid and have also made a move to sign Roma centre-back Kostas Manolas, according to the Daily Mail.
Niguez signed a new 5-year contract with the Spanish giants last week, but that’s not believed to have cooled Manchester United’s interest in the player.
Any move for Niguez would be complicated and it’s not clear whether he’d agree to leave Atletico this summer. However, if United feel there’s a chance of the deal happening, they could easily afford to pay the release clause for one of the best midfielders in European football right now.
The report also suggests United are after Roma’s 24-year-old defender Kostas Manolas and have already met with his representatives.
If United are really determined to sign Manolas, Woodward would have to act fast as Arsenal and Chelsea are also believed to be interested in the player.
Given the need for a new centre-back, Manolas could be a viable option for United and they could sign him nice and early as Greece won’t be participating in next month’s European Championship.
Signing Saul would represent a massive coup for United, but the player seems determined to stay at Atletico Madrid for the time being. However, in football, you never know and he wouldn’t be the first player to leave his club immediately after signing a new contract.
4 years ago, Brazilian defender Thiago Silva joined Paris Saint-Germain just a few days after signing a new 5-year contract with AC Milan.
