Though it happened in the dying minutes of the summer window, the Spaniard is finally a Chelsea player, having signed on loan Atletico Madrid, with an option to make the deal permanent next season.
The deal to land Saul in London was a complicated one, and till the early hours of the deadline day, the move seemed to be dead in the waters. However, both The Blues board and the player revived links later on in the day, which resulted in the deal being completed just a few minutes before the window slammed shut.
The 26-year-old has been with Atletico Madrid, since the last thirteen years. He has played 340 matches for the Los Colchoneros, and was once regarded as one of the hottest prospects in world football.
However, his form has taken a dip in the last year or so, which is a reason why Niguez was looking for a new challenge. After the deal was done and announced, Saul revealed he would have had second thoughts about relocating to England, had it not been for his childhood friend and Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
“I’ll be flying to London tomorrow, I’m coming to the champions of Europe. I’ll fight for my place in the starting 11. It’s important that Kepa is there. Kepa has been my friend for a long time. I would have second thoughts if he wasn’t at Chelsea,”
Saul said in a conversation with blogger Ibai Llanos on Twitch.
The two-time UEFA Europa League winner will have to prove his mettle to get minutes under his belt for Chelsea, as the Blues have a formidable midfield trio of Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic.
Saul, however, is aware of the challenge and is geared up to fight for his role.
“The three midfielders who are playing are at a high level, it will not be easy to play, but if I put my mind to it and fight it, I can get it. I’ll give it a try and see what happens. They promised me that I would play in my position. It was very important,”
he said.
