Transfer News: Atletico Madrid worried that Chelsea will not sign Saul Niguez permanently next summer
According to AS (h/t Football.London), Atletico Madrid are afraid that Chelsea may not sign Saul Niguez on a permanent deal. The Spanish club were hoping to offload the 26-year-old to trim the wage bill.
The Spanish international is having a quiet season ever since joining the Blues on loan from the defending La Liga champions. Niguez has played less than 240 minutes for the West London club ever since joining them on loan.
His last start for the club was in the EFL Cup fixture against Southampton on 27th October 2021. The Blues edged past the Saints on penalties after a hard-fought match that ended in a 1-1 draw after full-time. The 26-year-old midfielder has been an instrumental part of the Colchoneros in the middle of the pitch.
He has played 340 games for Atletico across all competitions till now during which he has scored 43 goals and provided 20 assists. The London-based club is already packed with a plethora of established midfielders such as Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante, and Jorginho which could be one of the reasons that Niguez has found it tough to get quality game time with the Stamford Bridge outfit.
Saul joined on loan from the Spanish club for a fee of £3.4m (€4m). Chelsea have the option of making this move permanent by paying a sum of £30m (€35m) next summer. With his current situation, it seems highly unlikely that the defending UEFA Champions League winners would be looking to make his move a permanent one.
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With the festive period coming up, top clubs like Chelsea will be facing a hectic schedule. Thomas Tuchel will be wary of protecting his key players and would be looking to rotate his squad. This may provide Saul Niguez with an opportunity to showcase his talent with the Blues in the coming fixtures. That being said only time will tell if Niguez will stay at Stamford Bridge or look to establish himself somewhere else.
