Saul Niguez, Yea Or Nay

Inigo Montoya

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Some outlets suggesing he could go to Utd for for 40m. Thought he was absolute quality but not heard much this season about him. Still 26 though seems to have been around for ages.

What to the expert Euro watchers think?
 

Pow

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Some outlets suggesing he could go to Utd for for 40m. Thought he was absolute quality but not heard much this season about him. Still 26 though seems to have been around for ages.

What to the expert Euro watchers think?
That's a really good price for him.
 

Dante

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A Saul+Neves double pivot would be insanely good. And for less than the price of a single Pogba.
 

gajender

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A Saul+Neves double pivot would be insanely good. And for less than the price of a single Pogba.
Yes bring in two players who had underwhelming seasons what could possibly go wrong .
 

Redrum1982

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Some outlets suggesing he could go to Utd for for 40m. Thought he was absolute quality but not heard much this season about him. Still 26 though seems to have been around for ages.

What to the expert Euro watchers think?
love him, Rolls Royce of a player, I wouldn't worry too much about one season not up to his usual standards when a player is that technically gifted, you don't lose that over night. If he's available for that kind of money we should pounce on it.
 

sp_107

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Saul + Carmavinga or Rice could be a better summer along with Sancho and a CD

4 players in but we can clear out many players
 

Dr. Dwayne

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I want him just for the chant potential. :nervous:


Said United signed motherfecking Saul Niguez
The fee wasn't that high, which will satisfy the Glazers
Controlling games we play all day with Saul Niguez
And we are gonna win everything with Saul Niguez

Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez yeah

First things first we love Saul Niguez
Ole's team sheet, first name Saul Niguez
You looking for a six? Let me call Saul Niguez
Or play him on the right, we need Saul Niguez

Saul Niguez spoke spoke, Saul Niguez think think
Saul Niguez signed up, dotted line with ink, ink
Fred can be his back up and we'll play Pogba up top
Sancho is on the right, if Murtough can get his act up

Wanda to Old Trafford switch, yo that's Saul Niguez
He's rippin up the pitch yo that's Saul Niguez
Attacking all the space, yo that's Saul Niguez
Give him the number eight, yeah that's Saul Niguez

Playing out from the back, pass it to Saul Niguez
Hit first time balls yeah that's Saul Niguez
feck them other players cause we've got Saul Niguez
We love Saul Niguez, fecking Saul Niguez

Said United signed motherfecking Saul Niguez
The fee wasn't that high, which will satisfy the Glazers
Controlling games we play all day with Saul Niguez
And we are gonna win everything with Saul Niguez

Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez yeah
 

thomas porter

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Saul imo would be a quality signing. I didn't watch Athletico regularly this past season but his recent dip in form is concerning.

He could give us a lot of the same qualities as Fred with more quality in the final 3rd.
 

Jev

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Would be a good solution for 40 million. Hasn't had a good season but his he's still a complete midfielder with the perfect allround skillset and well-suited to the Premier League. His impact would be similar to Ander Herrera's, which to me is a compliment.
 

bosnian_red

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Meh. He doesn't provide progressive passing really. Doesn't provide key passes. Doesn't create chances. Is a decent pressing midfielder and gets stuck in, good tackler but not a pure defensive midfielder so you can't use him as the lone guy. Doesn't make bursting runs through the middle up the pitch. I'm not really sure he's all that much better than McTominay tbh. Statistically this year at least, Saul played more key passes but significantly worse than McTominay for dribbles/carries/progressive passing and pass completions. Better tackler and "pressures" but fewer interceptions and gets dribbled past often. Gives the ball away a bit less but not a strength of either.

Honestly don't see what the point to his signing would be. Depth for the #8 position, unsure of him being any different to VdB or McTominay level who are all probably similar overall. Fred at least is a controller type who offers excellent pressing, but the others are all kind of all action midfielders who aren't that good at anything, but decent at best in most things. We need a properly holding midfielder next to a deeper playmaker.
 

bosnian_red

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love him, Rolls Royce of a player, I wouldn't worry too much about one season not up to his usual standards when a player is that technically gifted, you don't lose that over night. If he's available for that kind of money we should pounce on it.
How is this applicable to Saul in any way? Because he scored a good goal against Bayern once? He's nothing special. He doesn't control games. He doesn't do much in terms of passing. He doesn't do much in terms of dribbling like other types of playmakers. He's not a defensive midfielder but is a good work horse who will get stuck in. He's literally like McTominay, and I'm not sure if he's any better.
 

André Dominguez

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nay. Atletico is well known for getting every cent of their transfers, so despite his poor season it would cost us an arm.
 

Mcking

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He is the kind of midfielder we should be looking for to partner with Fred. Yay, but not completely convinced about having two left-footers in the middle.
 

The holy trinity 68

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I want him just for the chant potential. :nervous:


Said United signed motherfecking Saul Niguez
The fee wasn't that high, which will satisfy the Glazers
Controlling games we play all day with Saul Niguez
And we are gonna win everything with Saul Niguez

Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez yeah

First things first we love Saul Niguez
Ole's team sheet, first name Saul Niguez
You looking for a six? Let me call Saul Niguez
Or play him on the right, we need Saul Niguez

Saul Niguez spoke spoke, Saul Niguez think think
Saul Niguez signed up, dotted line with ink, ink
Fred can be his back up and we'll play Pogba up top
Sancho is on the right, if Murtough can get his act up

Wanda to Old Trafford switch, yo that's Saul Niguez
He's rippin up the pitch yo that's Saul Niguez
Attacking all the space, yo that's Saul Niguez
Give him the number eight, yeah that's Saul Niguez

Playing out from the back, pass it to Saul Niguez
Hit first time balls yeah that's Saul Niguez
feck them other players cause we've got Saul Niguez
We love Saul Niguez, fecking Saul Niguez

Said United signed motherfecking Saul Niguez
The fee wasn't that high, which will satisfy the Glazers
Controlling games we play all day with Saul Niguez
And we are gonna win everything with Saul Niguez

Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez, Saul Niguez yeah
:lol: Don't quit your day job pal.
 

Yagami

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Not good enough. Even when he had all the hype I didn't see much in him. We need a press resistant player who can dictate games and he isn't that player.
 

STYLOISRED

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Meh. He doesn't provide progressive passing really. Doesn't provide key passes. Doesn't create chances. Is a decent pressing midfielder and gets stuck in, good tackler but not a pure defensive midfielder so you can't use him as the lone guy. Doesn't make bursting runs through the middle up the pitch. I'm not really sure he's all that much better than McTominay tbh. Statistically this year at least, Saul played more key passes but significantly worse than McTominay for dribbles/carries/progressive passing and pass completions. Better tackler and "pressures" but fewer interceptions and gets dribbled past often. Gives the ball away a bit less but not a strength of either.

Honestly don't see what the point to his signing would be. Depth for the #8 position, unsure of him being any different to VdB or McTominay level who are all probably similar overall. Fred at least is a controller type who offers excellent pressing, but the others are all kind of all action midfielders who aren't that good at anything, but decent at best in most things. We need a properly holding midfielder next to a deeper playmaker.
I don't know if you have actually watched Saul but i have for the past 3/4 seasons and the only thing he has in common with Mctominay is workrate. i love Scotty but if he had Saul's progressive passing ability he would be top class. Saul is a brilliant player whose ability to switch play from Defense to attack is evident once you watch him play. he is the one player i wished for to replace Herrera when he left for PSG.
This season his form dipped severely due to mental health issues associated with the birth of his child and he even conceded that he would be open to a change of scenery
 

STYLOISRED

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Not good enough. Even when he had all the hype I didn't see much in him. We need a press resistant player who can dictate games and he isn't that player.
Saul is press resistant. Not Modric or Kroos level but atleast better than any of the McFred duo atleast
 

Irrational.

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He’d add a tenacity and a leadership to the midfield that we lack presently. Apart from McT, our midfielders have no backbone.
 

SAFMUTD

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It's depends on the transfer fee Atlético is asking for.

Saul has regressed, this season was not a good one for him. He'll be 27 in November so he's not young nor old so a punt may well be worth it. Anything above 40M would be a wrong call, a swap for VDB plus cash would be great business.
 

spaceboyRSA

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How is this applicable to Saul in any way? Because he scored a good goal against Bayern once? He's nothing special. He doesn't control games. He doesn't do much in terms of passing. He doesn't do much in terms of dribbling like other types of playmakers. He's not a defensive midfielder but is a good work horse who will get stuck in. He's literally like McTominay, and I'm not sure if he's any better.
Being pedantic, but playmakers don’t really have to dribble. More about their passing ability. I also think your tag line checks out based on this post.
 

bosnian_red

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I don't know if you have actually watched Saul but i have for the past 3/4 seasons and the only thing he has in common with Mctominay is workrate. i love Scotty but if he had Saul's progressive passing ability he would be top class. Saul is a brilliant player whose ability to switch play from Defense to attack is evident once you watch him play. he is the one player i wished for to replace Herrera when he left for PSG.
This season his form dipped severely due to mental health issues associated with the birth of his child and he even conceded that he would be open to a change of scenery
Yeah, I've watched him in big games over the years but nothing more. Looking at his stats in combination with some videos and those few games says enough though that he's not what we need IMO. Picking his stats from 19/20 to ignore this seasons slump and comparing to McTominay

It's a marginal passing improvement, with a big loss in running with the ball (if you like that), and then a more engaging style of defending (more pressing and tackling, whereas McTominay is harder to get the ball past). He's just very "meh". He's not a progressive passer. Look at 18/19, 19/20 or 20/21. Compared to midfielders he's barely above to 75th percentile of midfielders in progressive passing in his best season, and below the 50th in the other 2. Barely above 50th percentile in final third passes in his best attacking season, we'll below in other 2. Below 50th percentile in shot creating actions, whether it's passing or dribbling in the lead up to chances.

The 2 things that he's excelled in consistently is tackling, and pressing in the defensive 3rd... he has better close control than McTominay sure, but neither of them are the style of player we need, and both are far from the quality of player we need to be a fixture there.
 

bosnian_red

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Being pedantic, but playmakers don’t really have to dribble. More about their passing ability. I also think your tag line checks out based on this post.
:lol: the tagline is down to being a forum newbie scout and not doing anything with it.

But yeah I know. Playmakers from deep definitely have to show ball progression though, either through passing or dribbling/carrying the ball. The best can do both. Each of the past 3 years of Saul are statistically outperformed by McTominay in progressive carries per 90 minutes, passes into the final 3rd per 90 minutes and pass completions. Saul in 19/20 had a better year in progressive passing while 18/19 and 20/21 Saul were much worse than McTominay over the past year.

And McTominay is far from the required standard. Saul just isn't a playmaker. He's an energetic pressing tackler/break things up player who's had a few noteworthy big games. Literally like McTominay. He is very far from the required level of player IMO, and statistically over the past 3 years hasn't shown anything more over the course of a season to be more than an average player who steps it up in big games. You can say we need either a holding mid or a playmaker from deep... Saul is neither.
 

Bastian

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For sure. 40m. Yes please. But we need a partner for him. He's not the typical defensive midfielder we're looking for.
 

bosnian_red

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For sure. 40m. Yes please. But we need a partner for him. He's not the typical defensive midfielder we're looking for.
What's the point though? You don't get enough passing from him nor do you get enough defensive solidity. He isn't the right player to start at a top team that wants to dominate games.
 

Lash

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Not sure he's what we need to be honest. Then again, we've been watching him for so long, if we sign him, I'm sure we have a plan on how to fit him in.
 

Bastian

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What's the point though? You don't get enough passing from him nor do you get enough defensive solidity. He isn't the right player to start at a top team that wants to dominate games.
I agree that he shouldn't be a priority signing when it comes to the midfield. There's a condition for him to work here. And that's if we're buying another midfielder to screen the defense (preferably someone who is technically sound and can pass, but that's of course quite tricky). I would say Saul is quite a significant upgrade on Fred and McTominay. The latter two are good squad players to have, but not first XI material.

I've been a Saul fan for a long time, but if we only go for one, let it be Camavinga.
 

tjb

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Get him. He does the things we want and us getting him for 40m would be because he had a relatively poor season, due to both Llorente being fantastic, but also Atletico's change in formation. He can help with our build up, brings great energy, can tackle, positions himself well....I don't see the downside.
 

croadyman

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Get him. He does the things we want and us getting him for 40m would be because he had a relatively poor season, due to both Llorente being fantastic, but also Atletico's change in formation. He can help with our build up, brings great energy, can tackle, positions himself well....I don't see the downside.
United really need something to scare them into looking outside of just Rice, clearly the £90-£100m pricetag that Moyes put on his head didn't have any effect on our pursuit whatsoever
 

Andersons Dietician

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I think it’s wild that he went from probably their best player and really the better player than Partey as Saul was the leader and organiser but we have people claiming he’s not very good at all.

Nothing about Ole says or has shown he wants to play controlling football. It looks like and I’m sure he’s even said he wants two box to box players in the pivot hence Fred and McT. Now Saul is clearly better than both in terms of how he sees the game organising and general ability.

If he came in I would imagine he’d be deployed as the more defensive of the two allowing his partner to do most the running pressing whilst he covers and directs. Then there is this idea of press resistant players. Where this phrase came from who knows but it’s used too much. Pretty much every midfielder playing at top level is gonna buckle at times. Busquests, Fernandinho, Kroos, Modric, Carrick, Alonso all have had moments when they have been pressed and made a mistake. What often elevates these guys to another level is that when they get the ball their team mates are providing options.
Fred and McT only ever have Shaw or Bissaka or one of the CB’s. Eventually it works it’s way to Shaw and there isn’t a forward ball for him. Getting any midfielder in they are still going to have this problem unless it’s dealt with.

Off topic the disrespect for Neves Ive seen over the last week is unreal.