Transfer News: Atletico Madrid loanee Saul Niguez wants to stay at Chelsea amid concerns for minutes
According to The Daily Telegraph (Subscription Required) [h/t The Mirror], Atletico Madrid loanee Saul Niguez wants to stay at Chelsea amidst concerns for regular game time. He had made a loan move to Stamford Bridge in the summer after his career seemingly stalled under Diego Simeone’s side.
Saul was recently snubbed by Luis Enrique for the Spanish national team for the November Qualifiers for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. A move to England promised a wave of change, but things have not gone according to plan.
Having featured hardly under Thomas Tuchel, the midfielder has not got many chances to turn things around. He was not helped by the nightmare start at West London club as he got subbed off at halftime against Aston Villa.
The 26-year-old wants to take advantage of the international break to earn his spot under Tuchel rather than head back to Madrid prematurely. He has largely featured only in the Carabao Cup, but it amounts to just 166 minutes. He is yet to have minutes worth a full game in the Premier League.
There is also some talk about the loan deal being terminated just halfway into the season. If true, it may not be good news for the Spaniard who may feel that he needs to get chances to show his worth.
Following his shocking start, the Spain international has got better but is still some way off the desired standard. The news about termination could be a big blow as had hoped for things to get better in England.
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While he had a disastrous start, the Atletico loanee has got better since then and should deserve some game time to reflect his improvement. Without consistent minutes, displaying better performances is a tough ask and may not be fair to someone who had it rough coming into the club.
We hope that following the international break, things would get better for the player and the club. His return to the top could be crucial for the Premier League leaders as they compete on multiple fronts to win titles.