Better Call Saul. Or to put it more accurately, better call FIFA TMS and tell them the paperwork is coming. Chelsea FC left it late, very late, but they got it done, acquiring Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez, 26, in the 11th hour on a loan deal that includes an option to buy for $41 million.
Saul doesn’t exactly slot in to the starting XI right away, but he’s a high quality pick-up. With over 300 appearances at Atletico, he’s won 4 major trophies and made 19 appearances for Spain.
We’re delighted to welcome @saulniguez to the club on a season-long loan! ??#HolaSaul ??
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 31, 2021
For the Chelsea transfer window report card go here
“We welcome Saul to the Club and believe he completes our squad as we compete for honours in five different competitions this season,” Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said.
“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.”
Saul is versatile and crafty, and most of all, he’s proven winner. He will likely serve the team well as a fill in for the stellar N’Golo Kante, who has really struggled with injuries lately.
This deal was almost DOA when the day began, but both parties came together to really make it happen; incredible.
For more on Saul check out the official website posting on his arrival here.
2021 Summer Transfer Window Report Cards
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Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.
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