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Manchester United and Liverpool could be up for a huge showdown in the coming days. A top target of the two Premier League giants is set to choose his next destination.
According to reports, Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez is looking to finalize his switch to the Premier League this week. Liverpool and Manchester United are both fighting for the chance to have the Spaniard as part of their respective squads ahead of next season.
It has been claimed that the player has been eyeing a switch to the English top flight for the past few weeks. He is now set to realize his dream move after Atletico reached an agreement with his representatives at a recent meeting to seal his departure from the Wanda Metropolitano.
Following that development, the midfielder and his representatives will now jet off to England tomorrow to sort out his next destination. The midfielder reportedly wants to complete the move before the next campaign kicks off in August.
Saul's potential departure has been a long time coming. He is one of the few players that Atletico plan to offload this summer. The Spaniard is quite aware of the situation and thinks it's a great opportunity to try a new challenge in his career.
How much will Saul cost Liverpool/Manchester United?
Saul's current contract with Atletico runs until June 2026, putting the club in a strong position for negotiations. He has a massive €145 million release clause inserted into the contract. But the Rojiblancos are well aware that they can't raise anything close to that figure for the sale of the midfielder.
Saul played 340 games for Atletico, netting 43 times and providing 20 assists for his teammates. During his time with Atleti, Saul won the La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super cup - each once. He was also part of the team that finished runners-up to city rivals Real Madrid in 2016.
Meanwhile, according to Transfermarkt, the player has a market value of €40 million, which would be a fair price to sign him. But it wouldn't be a surprise to see that figure experiencing a small increase considering that Manchester United and Liverpool are both in a bidding war for the midfielder. It remains to be seen which club's jersey he will be wearing come next season.
