Should Manchester United sign Saul Niguez? Transfer round-up and analysis

Manchester United may be on the verge of strengthening their midfield resources with the signing of Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez.

The Spaniard has been heavily linked with a loan move to Old Trafford and could be the fourth face through the door at United this summer after Tom Heaton, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane.

But will Saul answer United’s call? And is he the man to resolve the Red Devils’ midfield woes.

What’s been reported?

Several outlets on Tuesday afternoon claimed Saul was a loan target for United and Chelsea. The Guardian were among those, and they reported that the 26-year-old is interested in a new challenge.

However, ESPN claimed on Wednesday that United would have to sell players in order to raise the required funds to move for Saul, who has been told by Atletico he can leave the club if a sufficient bid is received. A loan with an obligation to buy could give United more wiggle room to complete a deal.

Who is Saul Niguez?

Saul came through Atletico’s youth system and has been an instrumental part of Diego Simeone’s side since 2014/15. Overall he has played 339 games for Los Colchoneros and has scored 43 goals in that time.

The central-midfielder has also earned 19 caps for Spain but was omitted from their Euro 2020 squad earlier this summer.

What type of player is Saul?

Like many Spanish midfielders over the last decade, Saul is technically proficient and rarely gives the ball away. He is more traditionally viewed as a box-to-box midfielder, but can play in deeper and more advanced positions. He’s even started the 2021/22 campaign from the left-hand side of midfield.

Saul has an excellent range of passing and can keep the ball ticking over from the centre of the park. He also has an impressive acceleration and is capable of bypassing opponents with his mazy dribbles.

As expected in a Simeone side, Saul also has plenty of spirit and fight. He certainly wouldn’t look out of place against a more physical Premier League opponent.

Do United need Saul?

Sunday’s draw with Southampton showed the Red Devils are lacking in midfield and Saul’s quality on the ball would have helped against the Saints’ pressing.

However, that 1-1 draw also demonstrated that United really need a ball winner in the centre of the park, someone who will dispossess the opposition before passing to a more offensive team-mate.

Fred has carried out this role before, but not on a consistent basis. Nemanja Matic struggles to keep pace against energetic opponents, while Scott McTominay’s driving runs mean he is not best suited to a holding role.

Saul for all his technical ability is similar to McTominay. He prefers to move forward, link up with attack-minded players and even look for a late run into the box. It’s for this reason he isn’t exactly the type of midfielder United need at present, although there’s no denying he would be an improvement on their current options in the middle.

Which midfielders should they target?

United’s Premier League rivals Chelsea showcase the finest holding midfielder in the league in N’Golo Kante, although there’s no hope of prying the Frenchman from the European champions.

Instead, options like Declan Rice or Wilfred Ndidi could be more feasible additions going forward, although both players will also come at a premium for the Red Devils.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer doesn’t have the luxury of signing a midfielder with potential to progress over the coming years. He needs a top-quality addition imminently if the Red Devils are to address one of the main deficiencies in their squad.