Manchester United are among the leading contenders to sign Atlético Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios in 2027, according to TEAMtalk.
Barrios came through the ranks at Real Madrid’s academy before joining the rare select group of players, including Theo Hernández, Marcos Llorente, Juanfran, José Manuel Jurado and, most famously, Raúl González, to cross the Madrid divide and join their city rivals.
He quickly became a key part of Atlético’s U19 team soon after arriving in 2017 and was part of the Fernando Torres-led youth side that reached the 2021-22 UEFA Youth League semi-finals for the first time in the club’s history.
After impressing with the academy, Barrios, described as ‘fantastic’ by his teammate Giuliano Simeone, was handed his first team debut in October 2022 in a 3–2 defeat to Cádiz CF.
He has since become an indispensable part of the first team squad, already accumulating over 150 appearances for the Rojiblancos, netting eight goals and providing 11 assists.
The 23-year-old, valued at £58m by Transfermarkt, has remained integral to Diego Simeone’s side this season, recording a sky-high 73.3% successful dribbles in LaLiga. He has also been a regular for the club in the UEFA Champions League, where he scored and delivered a spectacular display in the 2-0 win over Man Utd last month.
It appears the 13-time Premier League champions may have been impressed by Barrios’ performances, as TEAMtalk claims that United are among the leading contenders to sign Barrios and are closely monitoring the midfielder ahead of a potential transfer to Old Trafford in 2027.
‘Fantastic’ midfielder
The report adds that Michael Carrick’s side are assessing midfield options and have made enquiries about the Spaniard’s potential transfer.
The Red Devils also used their trip to the Wanda Metropolitano last month to conduct checks on the exciting midfield ace, who is also of keen interest to Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, according to the report.
While United’s interest in Barrios is only exploratory and not advanced at this stage, TEAMtalk says a formal approach in January for the 23-year-old is not ruled out, although any move would be difficult.
The six-cap Spain international still has four years remaining in his contract with an astronomical £418m release clause, as per the report, so it’ll be interesting to see whether United would submit a record-breaking offer, negotiate a lower fee, or move on to other targets.
Carrick’s side have failed to win any of their last nine games in all competitions, including Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea. It’s their longest ever winless run in 42 years.
However, despite facing a free-scoring, in-form AS Roma side, United will be motivated by their impressive 100% home record against the Giallorossi, having won all four previous clashes at Old Trafford, including a 6-2 thumping last time out.
Other News
