Manchester United to scout Giuliano Simeone during Champions League trip to Atletico Madrid

Manchester United plan to use their Champions League fixture against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday as an opportunity to scout the hosts’ winger Giuliano Simeone, according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.

The report claims that clubs in England have taken notice of the 22-year-old Argentine, with United joining Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City in making informal enquiries about the conditions of a possible transfer. Atletico, however, regard the forward as unsellable. He has four years remaining on his contract and carries a €500 million (£422m) release clause.

The visit to the Spanish capital arrives at a difficult moment for United manager Michael Carrick. On Saturday, United led Tottenham — who were bottom of the Premier League before kick-off — only to be denied by Dominic Solanke’s stoppage-time header after Rodrigo Bentancur had been sent off for violent conduct. Bryan Mbeumo had given United the lead, and the dismissal appeared to have settled the outcome before Solanke’s intervention rescued a point for Spurs.

Carrick acknowledged the turbulence in his post-match comments. “We expected a lot more. I knew there was going to be a period where it became stickier. That’s part of it,” he said. “I understand people thinking it’s a disaster but that’s not in our mindset. The last three goals we’ve conceded, we could have done something about them. We will come through it.”

The manager has struggled to replicate the momentum from last season, when United secured Champions League qualification following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim. United spent over £150 million in the summer, bringing in Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans, and Andrey Santos. Reports this week suggested that figures at Old Trafford are beginning to acknowledge they ‘failed’ in the transfer window, with Tielemans and Santos described as fallback options after the club missed out on higher-priority targets.

The trip to Madrid precedes a further test against Leeds United at the weekend, making this a defining stretch for Carrick’s tenure.