Saul Niguez has been the subject of transfer speculation all summer, with several clubs looking to sign the player.
Barcelona and Manchester United were top of the list of clubs who sought to acquire his services. At the moment, the player is still contractually tied to Atletico Madrid, and despite his desire to seek a new stomping ground, things haven't worked out for him.
The player who came through the Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid youth academy has been deemed surplus to requirement at the Wanda Metropolitano has received the club's blessings to leave.
So far, it has proved difficult to move the central midfielder on.
Chelsea interest in Saul
It has been a busy summer for Chelsea, and they deem their transfer business incomplete as they pursue a late loan approach for Saul Niguez with the transfer window entering its final stretch.
The Blues completed a marquee signing by bringing back Romelu Lukaku to the club for a fee in the region of £98 million. Marcus Bettinelli, a backup goalkeeper, was also brought in, and the London club still believe they can also land Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde.
The Lukaku deal and Kounde interest have led the club to look for a more viable financial solution to bring Saul to Stamford Bridge. With FFP hovering over Chelsea, the finances to bring in the midfielder is simply not there.
Atletico put Saul on the market
Saul fell out with Atletico Madrid as they went on to win La Liga, and he made his decision to leave. A deal involving a swap for Antoine Griezmann did not materialize as Barcelona pulled the plug on the move.
Failing to clinch the swap deal, Atletico have been shopping for clubs interested in taking the Spaniard off their hands. They have looked to the Premier League as an option for Saul. With not enough interest shown in taking Saul permanently before now, Atletico have looked to sending him off on loan.
The loana has piqued Chelsea's interest, but Manchester United and Liverpool have also been linked to the player.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Chelsea sees Saul as a more viable option than Declan Rice. The news outlet also posits that Chelsea are not urgently seeking a new midfielder but are keen not to pass up the opportunity of getting Niguez.
Chelsea are not starved in midfield
Chelsea looks adequately catered for in the midfield with Jorginho, N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic as Thomas Tuchel's main midfield options. If they get Saul, it will add depth to the midfield.
The futures of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ethan Ampadu are still cloudy, but Ross Barkley, Danny Drinkwater and Tiemoue Bakayoko are on their way out, with Chelsea looking to move them on permanently.
By :
Steven D. Thompson
