Manchester United Transfer News: Ander Herrera Linked with Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid are reportedly reviving interest in Ander Herrera, who could be set to leave Manchester United on a free next summer.

According to AS' Patricia Cazon (h/t Sport Witness), Herrera "is one of the club's objectives" ahead of the 2018-19 season.

The Spaniard is said to have turned down United's attempts to renew his contract and "the agreement would be close to closing." AS added, "[Manager Diego] Simeone would have said yes and the player too."

It is a little unusual United have not yet tied down the 28-year-old, who will be free to negotiate with the likes of Atletico in January.

That said, the midfielder's recent form has left much to be desired, per football writers Liam Canning and Ryan Baldi:

Nevertheless, Herrera remains an important figure at Old Trafford and he has qualities that could make him perfect to play under Simeone—namely his impressive work ethic and the aggression to his game, which coupled with his mobility make him a dynamic ball-winner in the centre of the pitch.

He has perhaps lost a touch of the attacking instinct he once had, though, possibly as a result of playing in the dour Red Devils team managed by Louis van Gaal before working under Jose Mourinho, whose safety-first approach has not lent itself to creativity.

Herrera is yet to come close to matching the 53 La Liga chances he created for Athletic Bilbao in his final season there, while his tally of five goals in that campaign was bettered only in his first year at Old Trafford, according to Squawka.

United may not be getting the most out of him, and his form isn't the best at the moment, but he's certainly worth keeping. Losing him for free would be a poor decision on their behalf.

What may encourage Red Devils supporters is that AS cite an article from the Daily Mail last year when referring to Atleti's interest in Herrera, despite the Spanish publication having "good connections to Atletico" themselves, per Sport Witness.

As such, United may not need to be too worried about Los Rojiblancos at this stage in regards to Herrera, but the issue of his contract remains, and while it does, he'll continue to be linked with a move away.