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Madrid (AFP)

Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez on Saturday signed a contract extension that will keep him at the La Liga outfit for another nine years.

The 22-year-old joined Atletico's academy in 2007, and extended his stay in the capital by a further five seasons, despite reported interest from other European clubs.

"I am very happy because at Atleti we are a family and there is no better place to be," Saul said in a statement on the club's website.

"I will work my full potential on the field as always to pay back the trust that the club is giving to me. I'd like to thank all my teammates and the coaching staff for their help day by day so that I can be the player I am today."

Saul has scored 22 goals in 148 appearances for the Atletico senior team, helping them reach the Champions League final in 2016.

The Spaniard has also been capped three times at full international level, and won the golden boot with five goals as Spain reached the final of the European Under-21 Championship, before losing 1-0 to Germany on Friday.

© 2017 AFP