Thomas Tuchel ‘did not request the signing of Saul Niguez from Atletico Madrid and only agreed to a loan deal as a favour to the midfielder’s representatives’
- Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel did not request the signing of Saul Niguez
- The Blues completed a deadline day swoop for the Atletico Madrid midfielder
- They signed Saul on loan with an option to make it permanent next summer
- However, it has been revealed they only signed the 26-year-old as a ‘favour’
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel did not request the signing of Saul Niguez from Atletico Madrid in the summer, according to reports.
The Blues completed a deadline day swoop for the former Atletico Madrid midfielder – signing him on loan with an option to make the deal permanent next summer.
However, it has since been revealed the Chelsea only signed the 26-year-old for £4million as a ‘favour’ to his representatives.
Thomas Tuchel did not request the signing of Saul Niguez from Atletico Madrid in the summer
According to Cadena SER, Chelsea did not have Saul on their radar ahead of the summer transfer window and only agreed to sign him as a ‘favour’ to his representatives.
However, at the time of signing Saul, Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: ‘We welcome Saul to the Club and believe he completes our squad as we compete for honours in five different competitions this season.
The Blues completed a deadline day swoop for the former Atletico Madrid midfielder (above) – signing him on loan with an option to make the deal permanent next summer
Chelsea did not have Saul on their radar ahead of the summer transfer window and only agreed to sign him as a ‘favour’ to his representatives
‘He is a proven winner, a player with huge experience and we know he will be very well-suited to the challenges that face us on all fronts in the coming year.’
Nevertheless, Saul has failed to make an impact since moving to Chelsea – having only featured five times for Tuchel’s side since making his debut against Aston Villa on September 11.
He was hooked at half-time during that encounter and didn’t feature in their next five Premier League outings before making a short cameo in a 3-0 win at Newcastle on October 30.
Nevertheless, Saul has failed to make an impact since moving to Chelsea – having only featured five times for Tuchel’s side this season
Speaking after the game, Tuchel said he was encouraged by Saul’s display and admitted he has concerns over the midfielder’s ability to cope with the intensity of the game.
‘Was a good match, a huge step in the right direction for him. I am happy,’ said the Chelsea manager.
‘We thought maybe he would be struggling with the intensity at the 70th minute but he got better and better, had chances and shots.
‘We thought let’s keep him and give him the minutes. It was a good step for him.’