Atletico Madrid’s pre-season schedule got underway on Thursday, and one of the novelties was the return to Saul Niguez. The 29-year-old has already been told that he has no future at the club, and a departure is currently in the process of being sought.
As confirmed by Diario AS, discussions are ongoing to terminate Saul’s contract, which is due to expire in 2026. Atleti are willing to pay €6-7m to ensure his immediate exit, although Saul is said to want €9m.
🚨🇪🇸 JUST IN: Saúl Ñíguez wants €9m to accept Atlético Madrid’s contract termination, meanwhile the club wants to offer €6/7m. It is expected to be resolved in the coming hours.@diarioas pic.twitter.com/IXFXRnBVWu
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) July 10, 2024
If an agreement can be reached in the coming days, it would be incredibly significant for Los Colchoneros. Currently, Saul is one of the highest earners in Atleti squad, netting a salary of €15m per year. If they can avoid paying him €30m over the final two seasons of his contract, it would be a huge relief – and it would also ensure that extra funds are available for the ongoing summer transfer window.
Once Saul’s exit from Atletico Madrid is confirmed, he will join Sevilla. He’s already agreed a three-year contract at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan, and given the current lack of midfield options in Francisco Javier Garcia Pimienta’s squad, he’ll likely be an important player there.
I can’t quite understand how Saul went from untouchable to something close to garbage. Back forward a fews seasons ago, this guy was a jewel in Athletico’s midfield. Saul’s fall from grace is quite pathetic, perhaps he allowed himself down too. I thought Chelsea got it wright when they acquired him on loan but after watching his scandalous performance against Aston villa(a game which happens to be his last for Chelsea),in the premier league, I knew Athletico wouldn’t want him around anymore