After failing to sign Jules Koundé in this transfer window saga, Chelsea won’t be completely disappointed as they have successfully added a new reinforcement in their midfield by signing Saúl Ñíguez from the La Liga champions Atletico Madrid.
Saul is the second signing Chelsea has made this summer after bringing back Romelu Lukaku to Stamford Bridge. The 26-year-old Spanish midfielder has been a key man in Atletico’s midfield and now he will be looking forward to sharing the midfield with Kante, Jorginho, and Kovacic.
“I am very excited to start this new challenge with Chelsea. Blues fans, I am one of you now and I can’t wait to wear the shirt, start training and see all of you. See you soon!” said Saul.
Chelsea already has a solid midfield of an experienced Jorginho and Kante who are proven, winners plus Kovacic. who is guaranteed to shine in the future and Saul will be an excellent addition to this midfield as he will provide the depth which Chelsea lacks.
Chelsea has an option to buy the player at around €25-40m which can be an absolute bargain for this player, along with paying a loan fee of around €4-5m and his regular wages.
Chelsea wasn’t pushing hard to get a commitment on getting a buy-option for the Spaniard as he might not give them a guarantee of playing very well in the Premier League and also because of his lack of involvement in Atletico Madrid last season. If Saul does well and proves himself then Chelsea already has an option on their table to buy him.
“We welcome Saúl to the Club and believe he completes our squad as we compete for honors in five different competitions this season. He is a proven winner, a player with huge experience and we know he will be very well-suited to the challenges that face us on all fronts in the coming year.” Said Marina Granovskaia.