Saul Niguez and his nine-year contract at Atletico Madrid are a regular at the rumor mill.
Before this summer, all interest in the Spanish midfielder was quickly rejected and a price tag of £ 100 million + was hit on his head, but nowadays things have changed and it seems that Saul is on his way out.
But where could he be going?
Moving to Bavaria is a bit meaningful / Christian Kaspar-Bartke / Getty Images
Saul is open to leaving Atletico after being frustrated by the lack of consistent minutes, so why would he ever want to join Bayern Munich?
In Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka, Bayern have one of the best midfielders on the planet, and even if they obviously rotated with Saul, the Spaniard would still spend a lot of time on the bench, and we know that would be a problem for him.
Factor in the fact that Bayern are keen to avoid spending too much money this summer, and you’ll see why this does not happen.
Chelsea looking for a younger midfielder / Alex Livesey – Danehouse / Getty Images
Chelsea need a midfielder a little more than Bayern, but not enough to make a move for Saul seems logical.
Thomas Tuchel has his preferred duo in Jorginho and N’Golo Kante, so everyone who joins must accept a similar role as Saul currently holds in Atletico.
Chelsea are still looking for someone a little younger, with West Ham’s Declan Rice and Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni two outstanding goals.
United expected to change tactics this season / Matthew Ashton – AMA / Getty Images
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to shake things up at Old Trafford this summer and hopes to introduce a more attacking tactic to try to restore Manchester United to its former glory.
It could be the end of McFred, Fred and Scott McTominay’s defensive duo, and someone like Saul would actually make a lot of sense in midfield.
United’s biggest concern is financially. It’s not that they could not afford Saul, but rather a case of having other priorities. Jadon Sancho is coming, Raphael Varane is close, Kieran Trippier can follow and there are hopes of landing Eduardo Camavinga as well. The money for Saul is not really there.
Griezmann was able to return to Atletico in exchange / Soccrates Images / Getty Images
Barcelona need a new face in midfield after missing Georginio Wijnaldum, and if they will not be able to convince young Ilaix Moriba that the place is his, Saul is a great option.
There is a place for a box-to-box midfielder at Camp Nou, and we know that Saul is keen to be part of a swap deal that would send Antoine Griezmann back to Atleti in his place.
It’s a deal that seems to work well for everyone, but there’s a freer who can do with Saul more than the rest.
Liverpool need younger midfielder / Sebastian Frej / MB Media / Getty Images
After losing Wijnaldum, there is a hole in the heart of Liverpool’s midfield – one that could grow if the uncertainty surrounding Jordan Henderson continues to grow.
Saul would not only fit well in Liverpool’s midfield, but he would also help lower the squad’s average age. If he joined, only Curtis Jones and Naby Keita would be younger in midfield.
That’s the kind of deal Liverpool need to do, and Atletico probably prefer to send Saul to a non-Spanish team and actually bring in some money in exchange. It works for everyone.
