He may not be Walter White’s lawyer but Saul Niguez has certainly attracted a lot of media interest in the past couple of days.

The young Spaniard is reportedly a player Manchester United are pursuing and if suggestions of a release clause are to be believed then this is a transfer with a genuine chance of happening.

At 21, Saul has a seen rise to prominence in the past two years having spent a season on loan at Rayo Vallecano. To sum Saul up, a fitting adjective would be versatile; during his relatively short time in the Atletico limelight he has played across the midfield, but seems to be most effective when playing centrally.

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Usually deployed in a defensive role, his ability to break up play and provide protection for the back four is undoubtedly what has attracted United’s interest.

His defensive prowess has been proven valuable at Atletico Madrid but many Red Devil fans will question whether or not this would be enough to dislodge Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Ander Herrera, Michael Carrick or Maroaune Fellaini?

This is where Saul’s versatility could give him the cutting edge. Not only a proficient passer of the ball, Saul has proven himself to be useful in the final third having scored a spectacular bicycle kick versus Real Madrid in a 4-0 win. Despite scoring not being a primary focus for Niguez, five goals in 35 games is nothing to be ignored.

With Fellaini’s recent links to an AC Milan move, a space in the United midfield could soon open up but obviously it does become a matter of whether or not Saul would be willing to come to Old Trafford. With Saul recently coming out stating his happiness at Atletico Madrid and the potential lack of Champions League football at United next season a case could be made that Saul is closer to staying than the exit door.

United’s lack of invention in the final third would not be solved by signing Saul but he does bring a drive that can bridge the gap between defence and attack. Of Saul’s 339 completed passes in the 2015-16 La Liga season so far, 91% have been forward passes.

This positive attitude could allow United to counterattack quicker and utilise the pace of players like Depay and Martial whilst also providing more space for players like Mata and Herrera.

If the supposed £19.5m release clause were to materialise as fact, then signing Saul Niguez could only be a positive for Manchester United.

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