Transfer Centre

Atletico Madrid chief: 'Barcelona failed with Saul Niguez bid'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 29 December 2017

Atleti chief: 'Barca failed with Saul bid'

Barcelona tried to sign Saul Niguez in the summer but were a few days too late to trigger his release clause, according to Atletico Madrid chief Miguel Angel Gil Martin.

Atletico Madrid chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Martin has revealed that Barcelona were left red-faced in the summer when failing in their attempt to sign midfielder Saul Niguez.

The Catalan giants had hoped to land the Spain international during the most recent transfer window, taking advantage of an €80m (£71m) buyout clause in his contract.

Barca were unaware that Saul had already put pen to paper on fresh terms at the Wanda Metropolitano, though, seeing the figure required to trigger his release clause nearly double as a result of the long-term commitment.

"[Barcelona president Josep Maria] Bartomeu called me to say he was looking for a player with Saul's qualities and that he intended to pay his buyout clause," he told Onda Cero.

"What Bartomeu didn't know is that, three days before, we'd signed a new contract with Saul and his clause had increased from €80m to €150m."

Barca are said to have made an approach for Saul after missing out on another of their targets in Marco Verratti, who remained at Paris Saint-Germain.