Atlético Madrid’s Saúl Ñíguez sealed a loan move to Chelsea on deadline day of the summer window, and the west London club retain an option to make his stay permanent at the end of this season.
The midfielder has been restricted to only five appearances, out of which two came in the EFL Cup. In the last seven league matches, the 26-year-old has been on the pitch for only two minutes.
Thomas Tuchel has clearly not counted on the Spaniard at Stamford Bridge. According to Cadena Ser’s program Carrusel Confidential, the German manager ‘did not request his signing’.
Saúl was not included in Tuchel’s sporting plans this season, but the Blues went ahead and signed him as a ‘favour to the player’s agents’.
The player is managed by ICM Stellar Sports, with Jonathan Barnett heading the agency, who has close ties with several English clubs. In order to fulfil Saúl’s desire to leave the La Liga winners, his agents surveyed ‘their trusted clubs and achieved this miraculous transfer’.
In recent days, reports in the English press have stated the Premier League side plan to cut ties with the Atlético owned man in January, but the report states that is ‘something clearly impossible’.
Diego Simeone’s side are aware Chelsea have no intention to buy Saúl, meaning they will have a problem next summer, when he returns to Atlético.
