Atletico Madrid midfielder's agent responds to client's Barcelona move rumors

Barcelona are reportedly planning a swap move involving Antoine Griezmann and Saul Niguez

Saul Niguez's agent Jonathan Barnett has responded to reports claiming the Atletico Madrid midfielder is headed to Barcelona.

According to multiple reports, Saul is on his way to Barcelona, with Antoine Griezmann set to return to Atletico Madrid in a swap deal.

The Catalan giants need to cut down on salary, and Griezmann could be one of the players on their way out of Camp Nou. The Frenchman is now the club's highest earner following the expiration of Lionel Messi's contract.

Barcelona also lost out on the signing of Giorginio Wijnaldum to Paris Saint-Germain and have identified Saul as the perfect alternative. With a swap deal involving Griezmann going the other side proposed, Saul's agent has had his say on the matter.

While he refused to rule out an Atletico stay for the midfielder, he did confirm that Saul has options on his plate.

“Saúl will do with his future what is best for Saúl. Nothing has been decided, Saúl has as many options to stay as he does to leave,” Barrett told Spanish publication AS.

After another day of negotiations, there’s still no final agreement between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid for Griezmann-Saúl swap deal. Talks ongoing but no agreement yet. 🔴 #FCB #AtletiSaúl also has received bids from Premier League clubs and Atléti are prepared to sell him.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 16, 2021

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Manchester United and Liverpool could rival Barcelona for Saul's signature

Atletico de Madrid's Saul is on his way to Barcelona, according to multiple reports

As per AS, both Manchester United and Liverpool are in the market for a midfielder and have identified Saul as a possible signing. While Manchester United have tracked Saul for some time now, Liverpool need to replace Wijnaldum.

Now, with Barnett accepting that Saul has 'options' to consider, Barcelona could be forced to act fast. Both the aforementioned Premier League clubs are on the lookout for deep-lying midfielders and would want to complete any deal before the start of the new season.

Whether Saul moves on from Atletico or stays put remains to be seen, and this transfer saga is far from over.