Saul Niguez would be the perfect long-time replacement on veteran midfielder Michael Carrick.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has a major overhaul of the team in view as he plans to make the his side competitive again after some years of setback.
The team has put their poor start to the season behind them and their summer signings are also performing up to expectations. United midfield has found solace in Michael Carrick since the former England international returned to the starting line up but his current contract expires at the end of this season.
They have won more than 90 per cent of the games he has started and the talks of a 12-month contract extension are on. But Mourinho wouldn’t want to rely too much on him considering his age coupled with some departures expected in that area of the team. The Portuguese boss has identified Saul Niguez of Atletico Madrid as a potential replacement for Michael Carrick and he hopes to sign him in the summer.
As reported by The Express the 22-year-old’s performances has caught the attention of Jose Mourinho who is looking to bring in a top class holding midfielder to bring balance to his side.
In the last 18 months the Spaniard has become a key member of Diego Simeone’s squad, exceeding expectations in their last season’s run to the Champions League final. He has featured for Atletico Madrid 25 times this season and could cost United around £54 million.
United may not have problem signing the youngster as Atletico are known to be a selling club and would prefer to cash in on him with a big offer from interested clubs in the Premier League than to their Spanish rivals Barcelona or Real Madrid.