Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios next year, despite the recent additions of Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.

The Red Devils prioritised midfield reinforcements over the summer, following the departure of Casemiro upon the expiration of his contract, but their new arrivals have been unable to improve the club’s fortunes this term.

In fact, Man Utd are winless in their last nine matches across all competitions and they are ready to dip back into the market to sign another new central midfielder next year.

That is according to TEAMtalk, who claim that Man Utd are keeping close tabs on the development of Barrios, whose current contract at Atletico Madrid includes a release clause worth a whopping €500 million.

The Spain international, 23, has been an integral member of Diego Simeone’s squad since his breakthrough into the senior squad in late 2022 and he has been heavily linked with a possible exit in recent months.

Chelsea were strongly interested in a deal before opting to sign Valentin Barco and Jordan Henderson over the summer, while Man Utd have now reportedly joined the race to secure his signature as they eye additional reinforcements in 2027.

It’s understood that Michael Carrick’s side have made an initial enquiry to sign Barrios next year, although their interest remains at an “exploratory stage.”

Man Utd were impressed by Barrios’ performance during their 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last month, with the 23-year-old scoring inside the first minute, and they are ready to step up their pursuit of a transfer.

However, they aren’t the only club interested in a possible deal. Paris Saint-Germain are also firmly in the race to sign Barrios, with Luis Enrique understood to be a huge admirer, while Arsenal and Liverpool are also watching his situation from afar.

Pablo Barrios to Man Utd?

Having bolstered their forward line with the signings of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko last summer, Man Utd turned their attention to midfield reinforcements this year, with 2027 believed to be when their defence would be addressed.

However, the indifferent form of Santos, Baleba and Tielemans appears to have caused a slight change to this plan, with the club still interested in bringing another midfielder to Old Trafford.

Barrios is regarded as their top target for the role, although Atletico Madrid are reluctant to sanction a sale and remain in a strong negotiating position thanks to the fact the Spaniard’s contract runs until 2030.