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Reports in Spain are claiming Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel did not want the club to sign Saul Niguez in the summer transfer window. They further added that the move for Saul was more of a favor for his agents.
As per Carrusel Deportivo, Saul’s agents sought out a move to the Premier League in the summer as Atletico Madrid wanted to get him off their books.
Diego Simeone’s side re-signed Antoine Griezmann and added Rodrigo De Paul to their midfield, so there was a clear need to lighten their wage bill over the summer.
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They managed to do that with Saul, who moved to Chelsea on deadline day. Chelsea have the option to sign Saul permanently in the summer of 2022 for a fee of £30 million. Judging by his performances so far though, it’s unlikely a permanent move will transpire.
Saul’s poor performances prove the move to Chelsea was rushed
Saul at his best is an elegant player to watch, but it just hasn’t happened for him at Stamford Bridge. After a woeful debut for the Blues against Aston Villa in the Premier League, Saul has seen just two minutes of league action.
The Spaniard was used as a substitute in the 4-0 home win against Malmo in the Champions League, and has also started in two EFL Cup games.
Chelsea did not need midfield reinforcements as the first-team midfield was pretty much decided. Saul’s route to the first team was always going to be hard, but his paltry playing time suggests he is not in Thomas Tuchel’s plans.
The Blues are not in a position to rotate in the Premier League considering Manchester City and Liverpool are not far behind them. So Saul may have to settle for playing time in the cups.
The Spaniard will hope to push the likes of N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic through the December period, though, as Chelsea play a number of games.
The Blues are still alive in the EFL Cup and will also have to play in the Club World Cup early next year. That, coupled with the tight Premier League schedule, should give Saul hope of playing more regularly next year.
