Manchester City have identified Atletico Madrid star Saul Niguez as a replacement for Fernandinho, it has been reported.
According to the Mirror, the Sky Blues are seemingly keen to attain the services of the Spanish international, who reportedly has a staggering release clause of £130 million.
However, that hasn’t deterred the interest of cash-rich City, who are likely to continue their spending spree under Pep Guardiola in the summer.
Saul Niguez: The ideal player for Guardiola
Fernandinho has served Manchester City quite in the last four seasons, but with the Brazilian turning 34 before the start of next season, the Sky Blues do require some reinforcements in the holding midfield role.
Guardiola has often been forced to rely on a different formation without the services of Fernandinho, in order to accommodate the more attack-minded midfielders Ilkay Gundogan and David Silva.
And while Saul is somewhat of an attack-minded midfielder himself, the Spaniard is blessed with incredible technical quality, which, coupled with his remarkable athleticism, makes him an option in a more deeper role.
Saul has played in various roles in his career so far, but the 24-year-old has been predominantly utilised as a central midfielder by Diego Simeone this season. And the Spaniard hasn’t failed to impress either, playing a key role alongside Thomas Partey and Rodri in the double pivot.
While the midfielder has an underwhelming pass completion rate of 76% this season, it’s only understandable given Atletico’s counter-attacking philosophy under Simeone.
What really matters, however, is Saul’s tenacity and intuition in midfield, which has led to the 24-year-old averaging 1.3 interceptions and an extraordinary 2.8 tackles per game, more than any other Manchester City regular this season.
This could be beneficial for the Citizens, who have lacked the aggression in the middle of the park, especially in the absence of Fernandinho. Saul, would, therefore, inject more energy into the Manchester City midfield that would be useful especially while dealing with teams who adhere to a robust style of play.
However, what makes Saul such an appealing target for the Premier League champions is that he can also add the offensive thrust going forward with his driving runs from midfield.
And at the age of 24, Saul would be an ideal long-term investment for City despite a slightly hefty valuation of £130 million.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored