Chelsea are reportedly planning a late loan swoop for Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez.
The European champions made a statement regarding their Premier League title ambitions by splashing £97.5m on Romelu Lukaku, who scored on his second debut for the club in the 2-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. And it appears Thomas Tuchel wants to further reinforce his squad before the transfer deadline day on August 31.
According to The Daily Telegraph, Chelsea could make a move for Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez. However, they’ll need to offload fringe players like Ross Barkley, Danny Drinkwater, and Tiemoue Bakayoko to secure a move for the Atletico Madrid star.
A product of Atletico Madrid’s youth system, Saul Niguez, 26, made his first-team debut for the club back in 2012 and has managed 229 LaLiga appearances to date. However, the Spaniard fell out of favour last term and played just 33 times, as the Rojiblancos went on to lift the LaLiga title.
Saul Niguez to Chelsea—should the Blues make a move for the Spaniard?
The signing of Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan has made Chelsea a strong contender for the Premier League title, along with the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, and Liverpool.
Thomas Tuchel has no clear weaknesses in his squad which would hinder his ambition to compete on all fronts this season. In N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Danny Drinkwater, Ross Barkley, and Tiemoue Bakayoko, the Blues boss is blessed with some top-quality midfielders in his ranks.
However, Barkley, Drinkwater, and Bakayoko haven’t been assigned squad numbers so far this season and are not in Tuchel’s plans moving forward, while Loftus-Cheek continues to recover from Covid-19. The Pensioners have loaned out promising youngster Billy Gilmour to Norwich City, which leaves Tuchel currently with Kante, Mount, Jorginho, and Kovacic as the only fit midfielders.
Thus, bringing in another midfielder on loan or permanently in this transfer window won’t be a bad idea from Chelsea’s perspective, and Saul Niguez fits the bill perfectly at Stamford Bridge.
Saul Niguez has evolved into one of LaLiga’s best all-round midfielders in recent years, becoming a key cog in Diego Simeone’s system at Atletico Madrid. The last campaign wasn’t the best for the 26-year-old, yet, he remains a quality player who is yet to hit his absolute prime.
One of the Spaniard’s biggest strengths is his versatility, as he has played in a number of roles under Simeone—be it as a holding midfielder or as a No.8 with attacking freedom, as a wide midfielder on either flank or even at left-back.
Saul is an excellent passer of the ball and possesses a great ability to find and exploit space behind the opposition backline. He can dictate the tempo of the game, break opposition play, and chip in with vital goals. The Spanish international has volumes of experience playing at the highest level and is a winner, having won the La Liga, the Copa del Rey, Supercopa de Espana, Europa League twice, and the UEFA Super Club with Atletico.
Under Tuchel at Chelsea, Saul Niguez can fulfill a number of different midfield roles and improve the squad’s strength in depth. Still only 26, he could potentially offer the Pensioners his very best years and help them with his experience and leadership skills.
Thus, the Blues contemplating a late loan swoop for the Atletico Madrid star makes a lot of sense.
