Manchester United have reportedly made a move for Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez by coughing up £13.5million to edge toward his release clause, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The 21-year-old has an £18m release clause installed in his deal but the Red Devils are making a tentative approach before going all out for his signature.
However, The Telegraph cite Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague as saying that Atletico aren’t likely to be interested in doing business.
Earlier this week Diego Simeone’s men were slapped with a two window transfer ban, beginning at the end of this month, and the manager will be wary of losing any of his key men before he is unable to replace them.
And the player himself also isn’t thought to be interested in leaving Atletico anytime soon.
“The latest I’ve heard is Manchester United have put an offer of €20m (£15.3m) on the table but Atletico Madrid don’t want to let him go,” Balague said.
“And considering the ban, they won’t let him go, so I think that’s the end of that. Even if they met the buy-out clause, the player still has to want to go, and as it stands, he doesn’t.”
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