MANCHESTER UNITED are reportedly set to battle Chelsea for the transfer of Saul Niguez.
The central midfielder is ready to end his time with Atletico Madrid for a new challenge in the Premier League.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea ‘opened talks’ with the 26 year old ‘days ago’
There is ‘an official bid on the table’ which is believed to be a loan with a buy option.
But United are set to show their hand – although they remain keen on Rennes wonderkid Eduardo Camavinga.
The French youngster looks set to leave Rennes this transfer window which closes on August 31, with Paris Saint-Germain his most likely destination.
Camavinga is reportedly on the verge of joining PSG for just £25.7million, half of Rennes’ original asking price.
This is because Rennes want to cash in him while they still have the chance as his contract ends next summer.
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But although his move to the Ligue 1 giants seems to be a foregone conclusion, PSG’s excessive spending this summer has given United a glimmer of hope.
Should Chelsea be the Niguez’s preferred destination, there are also reports that Timo Werner could be used as part of a player-swap transfer.
Niguez still has five years left on his current contract at the Wanda Metropolitano.
But having already spent £97.5million on Romelu Lukaku – who in turn has pushed Werner down the pecking order – the opportunity to do a player exchange could appeal to both clubs.
As reported by OK Diario, a deal may well be on the cards.
Atleti boss Diego Simeone is a fan of Werner, whose game time looks set to be cut significantly at Stamford Bridge this season.
Niguez is a year older at 26 but they are on similar wages – Werner earns around £270,000 per week at Chelsea – making a switch financially viable.
The Blues and Atletico have done plenty of transfer deals over recent years with the likes of Diego Costa, Thibaut Courtois, Alvaro Morata and Felipe Luis.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
