Manchester United are pushing to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez on loan and are believed to be leading the race for his signature.
Atleti are keen to offload Saul this summer and had hoped to sell him permanently, but suitable offers did not arrive, prompting the Spanish side to offer him out on loan.
Chelsea were quickly named as potential suitors, and the Blues' interest is also backed up by AS, but according to the Spanish outlet, it's United who are making the most noise around Saul.
United, who are said to 'love' Saul, are keen to find a central midfielder who can add a bit more in the heart of the pitch. Current options Fred, Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay have all been criticised for being too defensive, so finding someone like Saul has been on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's to-do list.
The Red Devils are pushing ahead with talks over a loan which would see them pay the majority of Saul's wages, as well as a substantial up-front cost, and they are the leading contenders for his signature as it stands.
Chelsea are intrigued by Saul but are not actively pursuing a new midfielder, although they are said to be mindful of the opportunity to bring in someone of the 26-year-old's quality before the transfer window closes.
For Saul, his top priority is finding a new team who can offer him regular game time. He had hoped to find that at Barcelona, but talks over a swap deal involving Antoine Griezmann broke down after weeks of negotiations.
That has seen him pushed towards the Premier League, where United, Chelsea and Liverpool have all been keeping a close eye on Saul.
Liverpool had been tipped to try and sign Saul outright earlier in the summer, but the Reds' interest has cooled in recent weeks and it now appears to be a straight shoot-out between United and Chelsea for his signature.
Source : 90min