The agent of Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez has been “contacting several clubs”, such as Liverpool and Manchester United, about a potential transfer if his move to Barcelona doesn’t work out, according to AS.

The Spanish publication claims negotiations between Barca and Atletico have “cooled off” despite initial optimism that a swap deal involving Antoine Griezmann was possible.

There is no sign that progress has been made in negotiations with Barcelona, leading Niguez’s agent to send feelers out to Premier League teams in order to gauge interest.

Chelsea have also been mentioned in other reports but AS claim that Liverpool and United are the two likeliest destinations for the Spanish international this summer if an agreement can’t be reached on a switch to the Camp Nou.

Journalists in the UK have been rather dismissive about the Reds’ interest in Niguez and it seems, at this stage at least, the player’s agent is the one who is putting the Merseyside club’s name out there.