Manchester City are ready to launch a club record bid for Atletico Madrid attacker Saul Niguez.

The Mirror says the 24-year-old is seen as the perfect replacement for veteran defensive midfielder Fernandinho as City bosses look to address the big weakness in Pep Guardiola's squad this summer.

But Niguez will only be two years into a nine-year contract at the end of the season - and is welded to Atletico even further by a staggering £130million buy-out clause.

That kind of fee will be too expensive even for cash-rich City – but the Premier League champions will still examine the possibility of bringing one of Spain's stellar talents to the Etihad.

City have done business with Atletico before – paying £35m to land brilliant Argentine striker Sergio Aguero in 2011.

And they are aware that they would have to shatter the £60m club record fee they paid for Riyad Mahrez last year to have any hope of tempting the Spanish club to sell one of their most prized assets.