Chelsea are “actively working” on a deal to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez on loan, with an option to buy, according to The Athletic‘s David Ornstein.
The deal for the Spanish international was believed to have stalled, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the transfer had been “blocked” but Ornstein, a very reliable journalist, claims a move is back on:
? EXCL: Chelsea actively working on deal to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez. Negotiations are for a loan with option to buy. 26yo Spain international contracted at #Atleti until 2026 but optimism all round that he now joins #CFC @TheAthleticUK https://t.co/GXDcW4c5xD
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 31, 2021
Before this latest update, it was said that Atletico’s insistence on an “obligation” to buy Niguez at the end of the loan spell next summer had put off Chelsea from moving ahead with the deal.
Whether Atletico have softened their stance in this regard, we shall have to wait and see. It is a fast-moving story and with just hours to go before the transfer deadline, a lot could happen in a short space of time.
Niguez is one of two transfer priorities for the Blues, but a move for Jules Kounde does look very unlikely at the moment, with Sevilla demanding that the London club pay the Frenchman’s €80m (£68.6m) release clause.
