After spending most of his life as a soccer player in Atletico Madrid, SaulNiguezcould be leaving the La Liga championsthis summer. The central midfield has played a key role under Diego Simeone‘s successful tenure, but his future is suddenly up in the air.
It may have come as a surprise to see Saul making the headlines due to a possible transfer, given his long history with the club and his significant contribution to the team. Atletico, however, are struggling to land a striker for next season due to a salary cap in La Liga, and selling Saul emerged as an option to fix that issue.
Besides, Atletico feel they could offload Saul after completing the signing of Rodrigo De Paul. Needless to say, the 26-year-old’s situation has caught the eye of the most prominent European teams and, according to As,these three would be in the front row to sign him:
Manchester United
Will Saul say goodbye to Atletico this summer? (Getty)
The Red Devils are once again linked with a possible move for the Spanish midfielder. Manchester United are not lacking in players at his position at all, with the likes of Paul Pogba, Fred, Scott McTominay, and Donny van de Beek, yet Saul could mean an upgrade in the middle of the park.
But most importantly, United’s interest in him would be related to Pogba’s uncertain situation with the club, as the French international is heading to the final year of his contract and they might sell him now before he leaves for free. Manchester United would have to meet Atletico’s demands, though, which could be high as they expect to use that money to signa world-class forward.
Liverpool
Liverpool are reportedly interested in Saul after losing Wijnaldum. (Getty)
Liverpoolhave joined the race to bring Saul to the Premier League. The Reds have recently suffered Georginio Wijnaldum‘s departure to PSG as a free agent and are already considering options to replace him.
The Merseyside club is reportedly preparing a $40 million bid but, with Atleticoasking for at least $50 million, they would propose swapping players as well. According to reports from England, Liverpool would offerXherdan Shaqiri as an option and the Daily Express added that Divock Origi would be also included. However, it seems unlikely that Atletico will consider those two players as the boost they’re looking for their attack.
Barcelona
Barcelona are a strong candidate to land Saul in a swap deal. (Getty)
And last but not least, Barcelonawould be frontrunners in the pursuit of Saul. The Blaugranas and Atletico have been all over the news in the last few days due to a possibleswap of players that would see Antoine Griezmann returning to the Colchoneros in exchangeforSaul’s move to Barca.
That deal seems to be the perfect one for Atletico so far, as they would be landing the forward they need while offloading Saul’s contract to meet with La Liga’s salary cap. Still, they have to reach an agreement with Griezmann in terms of his salary, which would be too high for Atleti right now. Meanwhile, Barcelona will have to decide if they are willing to make this trade.
