Barcelona are considering a summer move for Saul Niguez, with the Catalan giants having the right of first refusal on the Atletico Madrid midfielder.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have turned their attention towards Saul Niguez in their search for a midfield reinforcement in the summer transfer window. The Blaugrana have the right of first refusal on the Spanish midfielder, who faces an uncertain future at Atletico Madrid.
Saul Niguez is coming off his worst season for Atletico Madrid, having fallen down the pecking order amid a change of system. As a result, he started just 22 of the 38 games in La Liga played by Atletico Madrid en route to reclaiming the league title.
Prior to 2020/21, though, the 26-year-old midfielder had been a mainstay in the middle of the park for Los Rojiblancos ever since his breakthrough campaign in 2014/15. However, a difficult 2020/21 season has created a lot of uncertainty surrounding his future at the Wanda Metropolitano, with Atletico Madrid open to a sale. And Barcelona have now emerged in his pursuit.
Barcelona have previously held an interest in Saul, and it is not too surprising that they have reignited their pursuit of the Atletico Madrid midfielder. The Catalan giants are indeed in the market for a central midfielder, with Miralem Pjanic being deemed surplus to requirements after just one season, while Philippe Coutinho is likely to be offloaded as well.
In addition, Riqui Puig has not enjoyed Ronald Koeman’s faith so far, while Ilaix Moriba’s future has some question marks around it as well. In such a scenario, it is no wonder that Barcelona are desperate to bolster their midfield, with Carlos Soler among the players they have set their sights on.
Saul Niguez, too, is a viable target for Barcelona, with his versatility potentially making him a major asset for the Blaugrana. However, Atletico Madrid’s stance on the player’s move to Barcelona is a mystery, although it might not be a factor at all, as the Catalan outfit have the right of first refusal on the Spaniard.
That means that Barcelona have the option of matching an offer that Atletico Madrid receive for the 26-year-old and swooping him away to Camp Nou. In recent times, Liverpool have been rumoured to be plotting a summer move, and if that proves to be the case, Barcelona could well end up landing Saul this summer. An intriguing transfer window for the player as well as Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.
