Chelsea are reportedly in talks over signing Saul Niguez on loan from Atletico Madrid.
Saul was previously regarded as one of the best midfielders in Europe, but his performances have tailed off over the past 18 months or so.
While it previously looked certain that he’d spend his entire professional career in Madrid, with the nine-year contract he signed in 2017 a strong suggestion that’d be the case, Saul now appears to be on the move.
The Spaniard has been linked with Barcelona, Manchester United and Liverpool, with it now looking like European champions Chelsea have joined the running to sign him.
According to our friends at CaughtOffside, Chelsea have opened talks with Saul’s representatives over the possibility of signing him on loan from Atletico for the season.
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BenchWarmers’ view
Chelsea did something similar with Mateo Kovacic a few years ago, signing him on an initial loan deal before buying him outright at the end of the campaign.
It gives the club an opportunity to try out a new midfielder for the season, removing a considerable chunk of the risk attached to signing a player for big-money.
Thomas Tuchel would also buffer his options in the middle of the park, with N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho unlikely to be sufficient when competing on all fronts.
It remains to be seen if a deal can be struck with Saul, the suggestion is that talks are very early, but this is a very intriguing deal for Chelsea to be exploring, no doubt.
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