Manchester United must pay full release clause for Saul Niguez
Manchester United must pay Saul Niguez’s full release clause soon or else they may miss out on the Atletico ace
Manchester United are one of the richest clubs in the world and it is high time they started behaving like one. They need to pay up for Saul Niguez soon or some other club will swoop for the midfield star.
The Daily Star is reporting that Niguez can be had for the healthy sum of 54 million pounds. That is the full release clause in his contract with Atletico. They also claim that United’s new boss, Jose Mourinho, is a big fan of the Spanish starlet.
If both of those things are true, and we have no reason to doubt them, then Ed Woodward need only get out his check book if he wants to secure one of Europe’s brightest young talents. The Red Devil vice chairman should not hesitate to stroke the necessary check.
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Yes, 54 million pounds is a healthy transfer fee, but it’s not an outrageous price for a 21-year-old player who has proven he can compete at the highest level of football. Niguez posted an extremely impressive Whoscored.com player rating of 7.37 in 31 League appearances under manager Diego Simeone.
It’s also not as if United are blessed with a cadre of young midfield talent. Louis van Gaal tried to get by on the trio of Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Michael Carrick last year and look where that got him. Mourinho is smart enough to know that he needs a serious infusion of talent in the defensive midfield if he’s going to take United where the club want to go.
Niguez might be the best available option on the market. You can be sure that Atletico doesn’t want to see him depart, but the presence of his release clause renders their wishes irrelevant. He’s got world-class talent and his age should allow his career to progress rapidly for several years to come. Quite simply, we don’t know how good Niguez has a chance to become. It’s a gamble a club like United should be taking.
If you don’t like the hefty price tag, just watch what similar age players will get on the market this summer. Already, Arsenal have splashed big money for Granit Xhaka who plays the same position as Niguez. The Spaniard’s career accomplishments and experience far exceed those of the Swiss star. It’s reasonable for United to pay a premium for that sort of player.
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Saul Niguez might not have the big name that Manchester United fans want to see come to Old Trafford this summer, but he has the big-time ability. The club need to quit wasting time and just pay what’s required for the midfield star.