Chelsea have signed Saul Niguez on a loan deal from Atletico Madrid.
Chelsea released a statement saying, "We have finalized the acquisition of Saul Niguez from Atletico Madrid on a season-long loan with the option of a permanent transfer at the end of the season."
Chelsea signed Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez on a season-long loan deal on Tuesday, bolstering Thomas Tuchel’s options even further.
The Spanish international has been an important part of Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid reign, although he dropped down the pecking order last season when Los Rojiblancos won LaLiga.
Chelsea released a statement saying, “We have finalized the acquisition of Saul Niguez from Atletico Madrid on a season-long loan with the option of a permanent transfer at the end of the season.”
Earlier in the transfer window, the 26-year-old was linked with a move to Barcelona as a makeweight in a deal to bring Antoine Griezmann back to Atletico.
Saul has been permitted to leave for London to open up room on Atletico’s salary bill, with Griezmann apparently headed to the Wanda Metropolitano on loan.
“I’m really looking forward to taking on this new challenge with Chelsea,” Saul stated. “Blues supporters, I’m now one of you, and I can’t wait to put on the jersey, start training, and meet you all.”
Saul has 43 goals in 340 Atletico Madrid appearances, including the goal that helped Simeone’s team reach the Champions League final for the second time in two years by defeating Bayern Munich in the first leg of the semifinals in 2016.
His goal-scoring ability offers another dimension to Chelsea’s midfield, which has struggled to score goals from open play thanks to the established trio of Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, and N’Golo Kante.
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said, “We welcome Saul to the Club and believe he completes our team as we fight for honours in five different competitions this season.”
“He is a proven winner and a player with a wealth of experience, and we know he will be well-suited to the challenges we will face in the next year on all fronts.”
Last season, the Blues won the Champions League just five months after Tuchel took over as coach, and they are expected to fight for the title and the Premier League this year.
Saul is Chelsea’s second summer signing after re-signing Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan for a club record £97.5 million ($134 million).
