Barcelona are after a marquee player to strengthen their midfield and they feel Saul can do the job required. They are willing to offer Atletico Madrid £96m for for his services, according to AS, as they look to add players that can represent the Catalan club for years to come. Barcelona secured a deal for Frenkie de Jong in the January transfer window for a fee of £75m, but it looks clear that club chiefs want to add even more depth to the squad. Saul has been an attraction of Barcelona’s for some time, and he previously nearly joined before Atleti convened him to stay. He extended his contract to 2026 where his release clause increased from €80m to €150m. Barca aren’t willing to pay that, however. The transfer would likely see currently midfield man Ivan Rakitic leave the club. Rakitic has been linked with the likes of Inter Milan and could see the switch go through in the summer. AS are also reporting that Chelsea want to sign Saul as well, but that now seems unlikely thanks to their transfer ban. Chelsea will need reinforcements in the summer, though, with the departure of Eden Hazard looking likely. Saul apparently wants to stay in Madrid, where he is viewed as an incredibly important player. But he wants his worth to be represented, and will likely demand a new contract with a higher salary. Diego Costa has also griped about salary at Atletico, with only Antoine Griezmann being given a considerable increase in recent years. It’s also thought that Saul wants to stay in La Liga, despite the inevitable interest from across Europe. Barca would obviously represent a new challenge and a step up in quality, so if a deal could be struck, Barca would be Saul’s first choice. Atletico are currently second in the league, just below Barca, and they’ve given a good account of themselves in the Champions League too. Diego Simeone’s side won their first leg tie with Juventus 2-0, as they look to make it to yet another Champions League quarter final under the Argentine’s management.
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