Report: Chelsea submit offer for Atletico's Saul amid United interest

Chelsea tabled an offer to loan Atletico Madrid's Saul Niguez with an option to buy, possibly putting them in direct competition with Manchester United for the midfielder, according to The Guardian's Fabrizio Romano.

Atleti are open to letting Saul leave the club on a season-long loan because his future with Diego Simeone's side has been in doubt for some time, according to The Guardian's Jacob Steinberg. The player may also be ready for a new challenge after being omitted from Spain's Euro 2020 squad.

Saul features on United's list of midfield transfer targets with Rennes' Eduardo Camavinga. The Red Devils inquired about Saul's availability in the last 24 hours, Romano reports.

Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is seeking more midfield depth after relying heavily on Jorginho during his time in charge. N'Golo Kante has also suffered injuries over the past two seasons.

Declan Rice has been a long-term target of Chelsea, but West Ham United apparently priced the Champions League winners out of a move for their prized asset. The Irons valuation of Rice is as high as £100 million, according to The Times' Tom Roddy and Molly Hudson.

Several Chelsea players on the periphery of Tuchel's first-team squad could be offloaded before the summer transfer window shuts on Aug. 31, including midfielders Tiemoue Bakayoko, Ross Barkley, and Danny Drinkwater. Tuchel also hasn't decided on the futures of Ethan Ampadu and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. These potential exits could free up squad space and reduce the wage bill for Saul's arrival.