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Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is ready to swoop for Spanish super starlet Saul Niguez, writes Alan Nixon in the Sunday People.

Rodgers has had a hush-hush meeting with the Atletico Madrid midfielder’s dad on Merseyside about a deadline swoop – to make up for ­missing out on Mohamed Salah.

And the Reds' chief will make a final decision on the ­Under-21 international on Sunday, when he sends a delegation to see him in La Liga action.

Midfield dynamo Saul is due to play for Rayo Vallecano – where he is on loan – AGAINST Atletico, and is desperate to get his future sorted fast.

Rodgers knows Saul has a fixed price of £20million in his contract with Atletico. But an offer of around £12m may work.

Liverpool’s failure to land Salah – when Chelsea came in late on the back of sorting Juan Mata's move to Manchester United – has left them a man light in midfield.

And worries about Lucas Leiva’s fitness after his latest injury means Rodgers is short of a player of Saul’s ­all-round ability.

Liverpool also know that Arsenal have met Luis Antonio Niguez, Saul’s father, while Chelsea and Manchester United are on the prowl.

Liverpool can probably ­offer the best chance of ­immediate first-team football as Rodgers looks for an extra capture to keep their top-four push going.

Saul is keen to play in Sunday’s match against his parent club to show he has the bottle for the big occasion.

Rodgers knows that landing him would also give Liverpool a major asset for the future.

The final price will dictate the deal and where he goes, but Saul and his dad are dead set on a move before this ­window slams shut on Friday.