Atletico Madrid
Man City completing an £80m deal for this world-class Spaniard would get them a perfect Fernandinho replacement
Manchester City opinion: Should the Cityzens sign Saul Niguez?
The Mirror and the Daily Mail have reported that Manchester City lead the race for Atletico Madrid superstar Saul Niguez. The 24-year-old is easily among Los Rojiblancos’ best players since his debut and has simply grown into one of the best midfielders in the world.
For Manchester City, the report further adds that Pep Guardiola believes that the Spaniard could replace Fernandinho. Manchester City’s master of the dark arts, Fernandinho has been Guardiola’s subtle destroyer since the former Barcelona boss arrived.
Easily the lynchpin of that Manchester City team, the Cityzens have fallen apart when the Brazilian has been injured, which, thanks to his age, has become more of a regular feature.
Replacing him will be the hardest thing for the club as players with his rare blend of incredible defensive nous, passing range and footballing intelligence don’t exist anymore.
But there are a few players who come close to that mark, with the likes of Ruben Neves, Tanguy Ndombele and a few other built in a similar fashion. Despite that, if there is one man who can come closest to being the 33-year-old Brazilian’s long-term replacement, it’s Saul Niguez.
An absolutely gorgeous midfielder, the 24-year-old is as complete a player as one can find. His abilities are not just limited to one area but instead, spread across the entire spectrum.
With his tactical nous, Niguez tops the charts in everything. Moreover, the Spaniard is versatile. Although he has spent most of his career as a central midfielder, Niguez can play as a left or right midfielder, a deep-lying pivot (like Fernandinho) or further up the field as a number 10.
With such versatility, can there really be anyone else for Manchester City? But if that isn’t enough, the statistics reveal just how good Saul has been this season. So far, he has averaged 2.2 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.8 clearances per game.
In comparison, only Oleksandr Zinchenko has made more tackles and Nicolas Otamendi, Zinchenko and Fernandinho have more interceptions. And no other midfielder has made more clearances barring Fernandinho.
To add to that, Niguez has scored seven goals and created one more, but it’s his energy that really defines him. His technical skills really shine and much like Fernandinho, Saul rarely ever gets caught out.
His tactical intelligence is among the best in the business and when in a more central position, the
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Conclusion
As mentioned above, few players in the world would be the perfect Fernandinho replacement for Manchester City and Saul Niguez is one of them. While his release clause does stand at stunning £130million, the Mirror has revealed that a deal could be done for £80million.
In this transfer economy, that’s an absolute bargain given Saul Niguez’s age and world-class potential.
Arsenal travels to the BayArena on Wednesday evening in the Champions League last 16 first leg against Bayer Leverkusen. The Gunners are overwhelming favourites after finishing top of the league phase with a perfect eight wins from eight matches, while the German side scraped through via the playoff route with victory over Olympiacos.
Mikel Arteta’s side were absolutely flawless in the league phase, with victories over Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Inter Milan demonstrating their credentials. Arsenal boasted both the best attack, with 23 goals scored, and the best defence, with just four conceded, across those eight matches. The winners progress to a quarter final where they cannot face Real Madrid, Liverpool, PSG, Bayern, or Manchester City.
Kick-off: 17:45 GMT, Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Venue: BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany
TV: TNT Sports
Saliba, Odegaard and White Doubts for Arsenal
The biggest concerns for Arsenal are William Saliba, Martin Ødegaard, and Ben White, who are all doubts after missing the weekend FA Cup victory over Mansfield Town. Saliba’s ankle problem looks the most serious while Odegaard continues managing a knee issue. Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori were also withdrawn with issues over the weekend.
The positive news is David Raya, Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes all returning after being rested for Mansfield. Piero Hincapie is eligible to face his parent club this week.
Leverkusen Missing Seven Key Players
Bayer Leverkusen will be without Mark Flekken, Loic Bade, Arthur, Lucas Vazquez, Eliesse Ben Seghir, Nathan Tella, and Patrik Schick through various injuries. This is a massive blow for Kasper Hjulmand’s side, who have won just one of their last five matches. Christian Kofane should lead the line with Jarell Quansah starting in defence.
Former Denmark boss Hjulmand has steadied the ship domestically, with Leverkusen unbeaten in six home matches, conceding just one goal in 540 minutes at the BayArena.
Predicted Lineups
Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-2-1): Blaswich, Andrich, Quansah, Tapsoba, Poku, Garcia, Fernandez, Grimaldo, Maza, Terrier, Kofane
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Eze, Martinelli, Gyokeres
Atletico Madrid
Phallon Tullis-Joyce Sends Bullish Message to Rest of Europe as Manchester United Women Goalkeeper Insists Nobody Should Underestimate Red Devils
Manchester United Women goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce has sent a bullish message to the rest of Europe ahead of Thursday’s Women’s Champions League second leg against Atletico Madrid. The American shot stopper insists teams underestimate United at their peril after the Red Devils secured an impressive 3-0 victory in Spain last week.
Marc Skinner’s side are riding high on a seven game winning streak and looks absolutely unstoppable at the moment. Tullis-Joyce kept another clean sheet in the first leg in Madrid and has been one of United’s standout performers throughout this Champions League campaign.
Might Ruffle a Few Feathers
Speaking in the pre match press conference, Tullis-Joyce revealed the mentality within the squad when asked about how the European campaign has progressed. “Yeah, it’s going great for us so far. I smiled a little bit when you mentioned people underestimating us, that might ruffle a few feathers in the locker room.”
The 29 year old paid further compliments to the team Skinner has built by stating, “We have a complete wealth of diversity and variety in our squad. Different players can step up in any game against any opponent. We’re taking nothing for granted in this next match.”
Special to Represent This Club
Tullis-Joyce was then asked whether keeping a clean sheet in the first leg gives her confidence heading into Thursday evening. She retorted, “I approach each game separately. It doesn’t matter what happened in the past, this is the next game.”
Finally, she revealed her pride in representing Manchester United and stated, “It’s really special to be a player for the Manchester United women’s team. Being part of the continued history of this club is something I hold very precious. I love giving everything I can for the squad.”
United hosts Atletico Madrid at Leigh Sports Village on Thursday evening with kick off at 20:00 GMT.
Also read: Tottenham Women Equal Club Record After Thrashing Aston Villa 7-3, Match Impressive Run From 2021/22
Atletico Madrid
Manchester United Women Dealt Blow as Full-Back Ruled Out for at Least Four Weeks With Meniscus Issue
Manchester United Women will be without full back Anna Sandberg for at least another month after Marc Skinner confirmed the Swedish defender requires surgery on a meniscus problem. The Red Devils boss revealed the injury timeline ahead of Thursday’s Women’s Champions League second leg against Atletico Madrid at Leigh Sports Village.
Sandberg last played for United in the first leg against Atletico but was hauled off after just 49 minutes and replaced by Gabrielle George. The 22 year old has been a regular fixture in Skinner’s side this season, and her absence represents a significant blow to United’s defensive options during a crucial period.
Best Case Scenario is Four Weeks
Skinner revealed there needs to be a tidy up around Sandberg’s meniscus and provided a timeline for her potential return. “From the time frame we’ve been given, the best is four, the middle is six and obviously the worst case is eight. If it was eight, she would probably be back three or four games before the end of the season. We’re hopeful we can get it to six but won’t take any risk.”
The United boss emphasized they will not rush Sandberg back given her age and importance to the squad’s long term plans. This is smart management from Skinner, who cannot afford to jeopardize the defender’s career by rushing her rehabilitation.
Numbers Thinning at Left Back
With Sandberg ruled out and Fridolina Rolfo missing the first leg plus the London City Lionesses match, Skinner has a genuine headache at left back. Gabrielle George appears to be the only natural option available for Thursday’s clash, leaving United desperately thin in that position.
Ella Toone also remains out but could return for the crucial Manchester derby against City in March. United sits eight points behind the runaway leaders and needs to be perfect in their remaining fixtures while hoping City stumbles.
Also read: Tottenham Women Equal Club Record After Thrashing Aston Villa 7-3, Match Impressive Run From 2021/22
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