Man Utd, Liverpool or Chelsea - Where will Saul will end up?

Stefan Bienkowski

Updated: 24 Aug 2021 11:48 CDT
3 min read

Man Utd want Saul Niguez as Pogba replacement — © ProShots

One of the most talked about players in this summer transfer window has been Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez.

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Despite having a contract with the Spanish champions that is set to run until 2026, the midfielder has been linked with a number of clubs across Europe.

In the past six months Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Manchester United and Liverpool have all reportedly had an interest in signing the 26-year-old talent. And now, according to Sky Sports, Chelsea have joined the race.

So where is Saul most likely to be playing his football this season? Let’s take a look at the contenders.

© ProShots - Could Saul replace Paul Pogba at Man Utd?

Manchester United

One club that has been consistently linked with a move for the Atleti ball-winning midfielder has been Manchester United.

The Old Trafford club have no problem throwing money around for big-name players and Saul would certainly fit that bill. But a bid for the midfielder this summer doesn’t really make much sense.

In terms of central midfielders, the Old Trafford side are fairly well stocked at the moment and it seems unlikely that someone like Saul would be signed unless Paul Pogba were to depart in the coming days.

Liverpool

Another Premier League giant that have been linked with Saul in recent weeks are Liverpool.

However, unlike Man Utd, the Anfield side are in desperate need of another central midfielder after Gini Wijnaldum departed the club at the end of the season to join Paris Saint-Germain.

Whether that means Liverpool are now prepared to hand over a considerable sum of money for Saul remains to be seen, but he is likely to fall within the parameters of what type of player they’ll be looking to sign before the window shuts.

Barcelona

Reports in Spain are strongly suggesting that the Atleti star could be on his way to Barcelona, in a part-exchange move that would see Antoine Griezmann move the opposite way.

Barca are in desperate need of cash and to off-load overpaid stars, so this would make plenty of sense for the Catalan side.

However, Atelti already have one senior and rather expensive ex-Barca striker in the form of Luis Suarez and it remains to be seen whether a return to the club for Griezmann is what the fans or indeed Diego Simeone even wants.

Chelsea

The latest club to be linked with a move for the midfielder are Chelsea, who are apparently hoping to add Saul to Thomas Tuchel's squad. However, this also seems highly unlikely.

Not only have the Stamford Bridge side blown a huge chunk of their budget on Romelu Lukaku, but they also have a number of players that already play in Saul's position.

Is the Spaniard expected to show up at Chelsea and push N'Golo Kante, Jorginho or Mateo Kovacic out of the starting XI? It seems highly unlikely.