Chelsea will hire Saúl Ñíguez from Atlético Madrid this season, Fabrizio Romano reported on Tuesday evening. According to the journalist, there is an agreement between the two clubs and the 26-year-old midfielder has also reached an agreement with the Blues. Although the deal was ‘complicated’, confirmation is expected soon. The rent would be five million euros.
Last week, Romano already reported that Atlético and Chelsea were in talks about the arrival of Saul. The Champions League winner would have already submitted an offer for a lease with a purchase option. By renting Saúl they want to free up space in the salary house to finance the arrival of Matheus Cunha; the striker came over from Hertha BSC last week for an amount of thirty million euros. With an annual salary of seven million euros, Saúl put a lot of pressure on the budget. It is not known whether Chelsea will pay the full salary or just a part.
Saúl has been a fixture for several seasons and an important force in Atlético’s midfield. In the past championship year, however, trainer Diego Simeone needed him less and less. Saúl had a starting place 22 times and played a total of 33 league matches. In the first two games of the current season he had a starting place, but on Sunday he started on the bench against Villarreal (2-2). His agents had been working on a possible transfer to the Premier League for some time. He was named in a swap deal with Barcelona in July that included Antoine Griezmann, but a final deal was never reached by either side.
His contract in Madrid, which runs until mid-2026, includes a lump sum payment of 150 million euros. Goal last week expressed the expectation that Chelsea, after a rental period, can strike for around 45 million euros next season. With the departure of Danny Drinkwater (loan to Reading) and Tiémoué Bakayoko (loan to AC Milan), space was already made last week for the arrival of a new midfielder. Saúl will report to London shortly to sign his lease.
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