Everton and Manchester United turned down Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez, says Guillem Balague.
Balague, who now works for BBC Sport, has claimed that Everton was offered the chance to sign Saul when the midfielder was 18 years of age.
Premier League and European giants United did not recruit the Spain international midfielder when they were offered his services when he was 20, says the Spanish football journalist.
Saul is now 23 years of age, and has established himself as a key figure at Atletico and is also a regular for the Spain national football team.
According to the CIES Football Observatory, the two-time Europa League winner is valued at €93.6 million (£83.47m).
Balague told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Saul, certainly, finally people have realised the talent that this man has.
“This was a man that as an 18-year-old was offered to Everton and they said no. As a 20-year-old he was offered to Manchester United and Manchester United said no.
“But I think in the next couple of years we will be talking about him as one of the top, if not the top, midfielder in Europe.”
Quality midfielder
Saul is one of the best midfielders in the world and certainly has the potential to become even better in the coming years.
The Spain international made 35 starts and one substitute appearances in La Liga for Atletico last season, scoring two goals and providing three assists in the process, according to WhoScored.
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