Chelsea are in talks to sign Saul Niguez on loan from Atletico Madrid, CaughtOffside understands.
Saul has been an influential figure at the Wanda Metropolitano under Diego Simeone, with the nine-year contract he signed back in 2017 testament to the commitment all parties had to each other.
However, the landscape has changed this summer, with Saul’s representatives working en masse in order to secure him a transfer away from the Spanish champions.
CaughtOffside reported a fortnight ago that Saul’s team were in discussions with Liverpool over the possibility of a move to Anfield. Liverpool were understood to have reservations.
With the end of the transfer window now on the horizon and Saul still an Atletico player, a resolution needs to be found. CaughtOffside can now exclusively report that Chelsea are in talks to sign Saul on loan.
A close club source revealed that negotiations are at a very early stage, with the likelihood of a deal materialising and the 26-year-old moving to Stamford Bridge thought to be 50/50 at this point in time.
Chelsea have been linked with several midfielders in recent weeks and months, with N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic relatively thin selection options for a long and arduous campaign.
West Ham’s Declan Rice and AS Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni are the names that have been most frequently mentioned. Saul can now be added to that list – time will tell whether the deal can be done.